


at this moment, you mean everything

by reddies_spaghetti



Category: IT (2017)
Genre: Boys In Love, Clingy!Eddie, First Date, First Fight, First Kiss, Fluff, High School AU, Love Confessions, M/M, Sad!Richie, artist!richie, awkward teenage boys, cheerleader!eddie, drunk!eddie, football player! Richie, nerdy!eddie, shy!reddie, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-01-21 12:55:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 21,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12458238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reddies_spaghetti/pseuds/reddies_spaghetti
Summary: Collection of prompts that I received over on Tumblr!





	1. You’re so cute when you’re mad.” & “Put me down!”

It was five days until Halloween and the majority of Derry was covered in spooky decorations that ranged from Witches to Werewolves. The school was having a Halloween dance on the Friday night which meant all the Losers were currently in a scramble to find decent costumes to wear. Beverley had already chosen her costume, which was a pirate, Stan was a mummy, Ben was a ghost, Mike was the Karate Kid, Bill was a skeleton, Richie was a werewolf and Eddie…

“What the fuck is that supposed to be Eds?” Richie barked out as Eddie showed him his costume, holding back his laughter.

Eddie frowned and looked down at his white jacket, the only item that he was wearing and he glared at his best friend, “Don’t fucking all me Eds,” he quipped back and he raised his eyebrows, “and I’m a Doctor, isn’t that obvious?”“Eds, my man, you just look like some guy in a white coat. Nothing special,” he snorted, totally ignored Eddie’s warning and he continued, “I mean your mom-“

“If you say one more thing about my mom I’ll kick your ass Trashmouth, don’t test me,” Eddie growled which only pushed Richie on more as he stalked towards him, “What- what are you doing Richie?”  Richie just smirked his trademark smirk and buried his fingers into Eddie’s ribs, tickling him as Eddie let out a squeal and tried to back away.

Eddies hands smacked at Richie to get him to stop the tickling attack, which he eventually did, but instead of backing away he picked Eddie up, throwing him over his shoulder. He started his descent down Eddies stairs to the front door.

“Richie! Richie **put me down**! Fucking put me down right now!” Eddie kicked and used his arms to smack Richie’s face until his best friend finally put him down, “What the hell!”

“You said you wanted to be a doctor, but that costume sucks Eds. So therefore, we are going to get you a proper Doctors costume, that way people won’t think you’re being a lazy son of a bitch.” He winked and proceeded to drag Eddie out of his house.

“Stop calling me Eds. For fucks sake,” he crossed his arms but followed Richie down the street, ignoring the butterflies that had once again exploded inside his stomach at the mention of the slightly annoying nickname that Richie insists on calling him.

“Gosh Eds, **you’re so cute when you’re mad** ,” Richie said, pinching his cheeks with a grin, causing Eddie to push him away.

“Shut up, Trashmouth, your hands are covered in god knows how many germs.”

“Hey! I washed them after I used the bathroom!” Richie defended himself before looking at his shoes, “Hey Eddie?”

Eddie looked at him, no longer mad and he answered softly, “Yeah?”

“I think you’d make a pretty good doctor, if you wanted to,” he said, without a joke to follow it, and Eddie smiled, taking Richie’s hand in his and giving it a squeeze.

“Thanks Richie,” he answered softly and they walked down the street towards the store. Eddie had to get himself a better Doctors costume after all. 

 

 


	2. “Great. Now I’m stuck.”

It was one of the last days of summer before they started High School and it was _hot_. Therefore this found every member of the Losers Club hanging out down by the quarry. It had sort of become _their_ hangout, a place that they all felt safe, a place they could go and just be themselves. Everyone but Richie had given up being in the water, choosing instead to sprawl back on the grass and dry off, enjoying the heat that the sun was radiating.

Eddie, however, was sitting under a tree, the sun too hot for his sensitive skin and he had to wait for the sunscreen he was currently about to apply to dry in before he even _dared_ head out into the sun. There was no way that he was starting High School looking like a red lobster. No way. He reached into his fanny pack, and yes, he did still carry around one of those. It may not be for the countless medication that he didn’t need to take, but it was still good for storing things. Like his sunscreen, for instance. He grabbed the sunscreen and he hadn’t even managed to pop the cap open before the bottle was snatched out of his hand.

“ _Richie,_ give it back,” he said simply, hoping his best friend would just stop being such a dick for a second and do as he was told, but alas, today was not his lucky day as Richie just snorted and took off towards the water. “Richie!”

“You want it, come get it!” Richie called back, splashing the water so hard that it went all over Beverly, who let out a screech. Eddie rolled his eyes and forgot about his skin for a second and he dived after Richie. “C’mon Eds, just come and grab it.”

“ _Don’t_ call me Eds, how many times do I have to tell you?” Eddie spoke through his teeth, trying to ignore the way his stomach did backflips whenever Richie _did_ call him Eds. “Just give me my sunscreen back.”

“Just come into the water and get it Eddie Spaghetti,” he wriggled his eyebrows, holding the sunscreen high in the air.

At this point Eddie would usually weigh up his options, but instead he just gave Richie a smile and without warning, lunged towards the taller boy, sending him, and his sunscreen, into the shallow water. He grinned triumphantly that he’d managed to catch Richie off guard, but it didn’t last long as he tried to get up, only to discover that his foot had gotten stuck between two rocks. He gave it a few tugs, but it wouldn’t budge and he gave Richie a glare, “You are such an _ass-_ “

“That’s not what your mom said last night!” Richie joked out only to get water splashed in his face by Eddie.

“Shut up Trashmouth!” He growled, giving his foot another tug. “Great. Now I’m stuck.” At this point they had gained the attention of everyone else, “A little help would be nice!”

Everyone simultaneously jumped up and rushed over, and it became a shouting match of, “ _You pull and I’ll push!”, “No that’s just going to make it worse!”, “Just wiggle it a little!”_ as they tried to free him. Eddie was becoming a little panicky, his heart rate speeding up. What if he couldn’t get out? What if he was stuck here forever?

As though sensing the distress radiating from his best friend, Richie grabbed Eddies face, quite like what he’s done that day in the Neibolt house when they thought they were going to be devoured by a demon clown. He made Eddie look at him and only him, “You’re fine, were going to get you out, just focus on me okay?”

Eddie was surprised that Richie was being so genuine, and that there wasn’t a joke mixed in there somewhere but he wasn’t going to complain. He kept his eyes trained on Richie as the gang worked on his foot. Suddenly, just like that, his foot popped free and Eddie lost his balance, toppling backwards onto the grass and pulling Richie with him.

There was a moment of pure silence as the two fifteen year olds looked at eachother, faces tinged red, until Richie broke the silence, “Damn Eds if I knew you’d wanted me on top of you this bad I’d have done that weeks ago!” Eddie glared and shoved Richie off him abruptly and marched towards where he could see his sunscreen laying. “Aww babe! We were just getting comfortable!” Richie called and it made Eddies stomach do that flippy-thing again.

“You are unbelievable Rich.” He said as he safely put the bottle back in his fanny pack, away from Richie.

“Yeah, maybe so Eddie Spaghetti, but trust me, you wouldn’t have me any other way!”

There was a pause before Eddie answered, voice soft.

“No, I wouldn’t.”


	3. “I’m sorry, I spout out random facts when I’m nervous.”& “Forgive me if I’m misreading things, but do you want to make out?”

Eddie had no idea why he was so nervous. It was just Richie. His Richie, his best friend. Trashmouth. They’d hung out countless times before. However even Eddie knew that this wasn’t like any of the other times they’d hung out. For starters, none of their other friends were going to be there, it was just the two of them. Second they were going out for dinner to the new Pizza place that opened up and then they were going bowling, and third, it was a date.

Richie Tozier, his best friend since fucking pre-school, and the guy whom he’d had feelings for since he was at least fifteen had asked him out on a date…and it was not followed up by some rude joke about his mom.

He checked himself in the mirror again, making sure that everything was perfect, and he glanced at the clock on his bedside table. 6.55pm. In five minutes Richie would be knocking on his door to take him out. He was picking him up in his car that he’d spent all summer saving up for. Personally, Eddie thought it could use a good clean with extremely strong disinfectant but he didn’t say anything because the car had meant so much to Richie. It was something had he’d gotten all by himself, all because he worked hard for it.

He was broken out of his thoughts by the doorbell ringing and he reached into his pocket and pulled out his inhaler, taking a puff. Even though a few years ago he’d found out that he actually didn’t have asthma, having the inhaler there to use was a comfort to him. He was also very touched to find out from Bill that Richie keeps a spare inhaler in his bag, just in case Eddie loses his.

He heard his mother answer the door and a familiar voice float up the stairs, “Hi Mrs K! Looking stunning as usual, is that a new dress you’re wearing?” Eddie rolled his eyes as he heard his mother scoff and warn him to have Eddie home before midnight.

He took that as his cue to head down the stairs and when he saw Richie at the bottom, leaning against the wall with his trademark smirk, his glasses just falling down his nose slightly, Eddie swore he felt his heart stop. “Wow Eds, you brush up nice, hoping to get lucky?” He teased, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Instead of Eddie smacking Richie, or glaring at him like he usually would, he just blurted out, “Did you know that when hippopotamus’ are upset their sweat turns red?” Eddie could swear his face was bright red at this point. What was _wrong_ with him? He cleared his throat, as Richie let out a very light laugh.

“Good to know Eds, you really are full of surprises aren’t you?” Richie fixed his glasses and opened the front door, “Ready?” Eddie just nodded and followed him out of the house and towards where he’d parked the car.

Eddie stopped short as he took in the vehicle in front of him, as it was spotless. Not a single ounce of dirt that Eddie had noticed before could be seen and he realised that Richie had cleaned the car out completely just so Eddie would feel comfortable sitting in it. This fact alone made him fall just that little but more in love with his best friend, not that he’d tell Richie that, not yet anyway. They had to get through this date first.

The ride to the restaurant wasn’t as awkward as Eddie thought it was going to be, they talked about school, and the football tryouts, and Ben and Beverley’s new found relationship. Hell they even talked about Stan and Bill who’d been together since the beginning of Sophomore year. Richie even made his fair share of ‘your mom,’ jokes that earned his glare from Eddie.

When Richie pulled up outside of the restaurant however, the nerves from before came back, setting in the pit of his stomach. What if he messed up? What if he said something and Richie realised it was all a big mistake asking him out? There was too much riding on this date, Eddies _heart_ was literally on the line and it scared him a little.

“-arth to Eds?” Richie’s voice broke through his thoughts and he glanced up to find Richie mere inches from his face, prompting another blush to rise up his cheeks. “You’re such a cutie when you blush Eds,” he offered him his arm, “C’mon.”

“Did you know that in 2015 more people were killed from taking selfies than from shark attacks?” He blurted out and Richie blinked, looking perplexed for a moment before he grinned.

“Better not take any selfies then huh? Wouldn’t want to deprive the world of this awesomeness would I?” He winked and gestured to himself, pulling Eddie into the restaurant and they were led to their table.

And that was how the rest of the date went from there on in. Whenever Richie made a comment in regards to how Eddie looked, how cute he was or even mentioned one of the many nicknames he had for him, Eddie would blurt out another random fact.

“Did you know Heart Attacks are more likely to happen on a Monday?”

“Did you know bananas are curved because they grow towards the sun?”

‘Did you know that movie trailers were originally shown after the movie, which was why they are named trailers?”

Yeah, you get it.

Also not to mention he got pizza sauce all over his shirt, spilled a glass of water and tripped over his shoelaces when he went to use the bathroom. Richie was never going to want to come out with him again and they hadn’t even _made_ it to the bowling yet.

Richie however, was taking it all in his stride. It had taken him to when Eddie started rambling about bananas to figure out that his best friend was nervous. Extremely so, and Richie thought it was the cutest thing ever. Damn, he had it bad. Once he’s paid the bill, much to Eddie’s protest - _“I asked you out Eds, therefore I pay.”_ \- they headed back out to the car. They stopped by the door and Eddie looked at his shoes again. “Ed-“

“Did you know that a baby-“ he was cut off by Richie’s finger on his lips, effectively shutting him up. He held back the urge to comment on how many germs would be on Richie’s finger that was now pressed against his lips as Richie looked as though he was going to start talking.

“You don’t have to be so nervous Eds,” he said simply, no joke behind his words as he removed his finger

Eddies mouth opened and closed a few times before he sighed, **_“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Richie- it’s just I tend to spout out random facts when I’m nervous.”_** He pressed his back up against the car and looked down.

Richie frowned and reached a hand out to tilt Eddie’s face back up, so he was looking at him, “Don’t be sorry,” he said softly and Eddie couldn’t look away. Richie face was so close to his and all he desperately wanted to do was lean forward and close the distance between them, but he didn’t.

A comfortable silence stretched out between them before Richie spoke up again, voice much softer than Eddie had ever heard it before, “ ** _Forgive me if I’m misreading things-_** “ he stopped and Eddie’s eyes widened, opening his mouth to ask Richie to finish the sentence, when a smirk broke out on his face, and in pure Richie fashion he finished, “ ** _But do you want to make out?_** ”

Eddie’s jaw dropped as he registered Richie’s words and could barley manage a nod before a pair of chapped lips were covering his own. Now no mental preparation or discussion could ever have prepared him for the way Richie’s mouth felt on his, and he didn’t even think about how many germs would be in mouth, on his tongue that was-oh- that was running along his bottom lip, coaxing his lips apart so he could give Eddie a proper kiss. None of this closed mouth shit.

When the need for air was too prominent, they slowly pulled away, but instead of taking a step back, Richie pressed his forehead to Eddies. Eddie opened his eyes- _when had he closed them?_ \- and met Richie’s with a soft smile on his lips. They stood their in silence for a while longer, enjoying each others company before Richie spoke up again, “You’ll come with me to homecoming right?” He asked and Eddie’s stomach did flips because he knew that Richie hated all those school dance things, but Richie knew that Eddie loved them.

“Yeah,” he whispered, “Yes of course.”

“Wanna skip bowling and make out in the back of my car? Maybe if you ask nicely you’ll get to see how long my wang really is!” Richie suggested with a waggle of his eyebrows, earning him a smack to the arm from Eddie. “I’m kidding! I’m kidding!”

Eddie just rolled his eyes and got into the passenger seat, “If you beat me at bowling I might just let you kiss me goodnight Tozier.”

“Oh it’s on.”


	4. "Oh my God. You're in love with him.”

Eddie hated High School. Between getting thrown in lockers, being tripped up in the hallways and being told he wasn’t ‘the right type’ to try out for any sports, he also had to deal with the fact that he was losing his best friend.

They were in junior year of High School and they were at the age that dating was the social norm. Beverly and Ben were together, Bill and Stan were together, hell even Mike had a girlfriend, a girl names Sophie that was in his biology class. For a while it was just Eddie and Richie that remained the only two single members of the Losers Club.

Until now, that is.

It happened a few weeks ago, when Eddie was on an errand to the pharmacy for his mother. He’d just exited the store when his eyes landed on a familiar figure across the street, talking to an unfamiliar one. Richie was sitting on a bench, sharing ice cream with a girl, a girl Eddie didn’t recognise. He dodged into an alleyway, already feeling a little bit like a creep for spying on his best friend like this but he couldn’t help it, he was curious okay! Who was this girl? Was she…Richie’s girlfriend? An unwelcome feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as he thought about that. It wasn’t news to Eddie, and only Eddie, that over the years he’d developed feelings for his best friend, regardless of his trashmouth.

Eddie only had to wait for a few minutes for his suspicions to be confirmed as Richie threw the girls and his own ice cream wrapper in the trash and pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and leading her in the opposite direction. Eddie didn’t even realise he was crying until he reached a hand up to wipe his face, only to find his cheeks all wet. He scrubbed them and took few deep breaths, heading down the street towards Beverly’s house that she lived in with her aunt.

He knocked on the door and was extremely grateful that it was Beverly and not her aunt who answered, he was definitely not in the mood to deal with adults asking him what was wrong. Beverly’s face softened at his distressed appearance and she tugged him into the house. “What’s wrong Eddie?” She asked, her voice soothing.

Eddie just looked at her, before he burst into tears, sitting down on the step at the bottom of the stairs, “R-Richie- h-he’s-“ he forced himself to stop sobbing, even as he felt Bev’s comforting arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug. Once he was calm he started again, his voice small. “Richie’s got a girlfriend.”

There was silence and it stretched on for a little bit too long, until Bev finally opened her mouth, “ **Oh my god. Oh _Eddie_. You’re in love with him. You’re in love with Richie aren’t you?** ”

Eddie didn’t even bother denying it, because Beverly wasn’t stupid, she knew, so he just nodded his head, leaning it against her shoulder as he allowed himself to shed the tears he was holding back.

At some point Bev had taken him up to her room and he’d fallen asleep, too tired from all the crying to stay awake long enough to walk home. Bev didn’t seem to mind, as she sat next to him, just to make sure he was okay.

Yeah, Eddie really hated High School.

***

When he woke up he was groggy and the sun from outside had dimmed which meant it was probably quite late. He frowned as he felt the weight of someone on his legs and he turned around to ask Bev to move only for the words to die in his throat.

Because right there, staring down at him with a shit-eating grin, was Richie Tozier.

“Richie- what? Get the fuck off me!”

“That’s not what your mom said last night.” Richie quipped, but his face at a look about it, like he wasn’t feeling the joke so Eddie let it go, just this once.

“What are you doing here Richie?” He asked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes that had stuck together with dried tears. He knew he probably looked a mess and this was a conversation he really wanted to avoid.

“You’re an idiot,” he said simply and Eddie choked, eyes darkening as he pushed Richie off of him.

“What? _I’m_ the idiot? How did you possibly get to that conclusion, trashmouth?” He spat and crossed his arms. He was upset, and heartbroken, give him some slack okay?

“Bev called. She was yelling at me down the phone about me having a girlfriend, and leading you on? It took me a while to realise what she was talking about and I could only come up with one conclusion. You saw me with Poppy.” _Poppy._ Her name was Poppy. Eddie couldn’t even hate her name because it was a pretty name. He felt his throat close up and he moved to stand up, only to be pushed back onto the bed by Richie. “Wow, where do you think you’re going eh Eds?”

“Let me go trashmouth, I’m not in the mood for your stupid games and your stupid jokes and I’m certainly not in the mood to here about your stupid _girlfriend._ ” He managed to stand up and make his way to the door, ready to leave when Richie spoke again.

“Poppy’s my cousin.”

“ _What?_ ” Eddie span around, eyes wide like saucers. Did he hear that right? Had he just had a emotional breakdown over a stupid _misunderstanding?_

“Poppy. She’s my cousin from Alabama. They’re visiting for a few weeks.” Riche had moved so he was standing a few feet away from Eddie. “You were jealous,” his eyebrows raised up and his smile turned into a smirk.

“What- no? No I wasn’t! Why- why would I be jealous? Pff,” Eddie babbled but he saw the look on Richie’s face, he was busted. His shoulders slumped in defeat. “Okay, I was jealous.”

“I just _can’t_ believe you thought I had a girlfriend when all I’ve been trying to do for the past six months is woo you!” Richie said and Eddie was once again, at a loss for words.

“What? No you weren’t!”

“Yes I was. All rude mom jokes and sexual innuendos aside. I _like_ you, but I didn’t want to scare you off so Bev was helping me with all the elaborate plans to woo you. The notes in your locker? Me. The flowers that were delivered to you on Valentines day? Me. All those little things that made you smile every day, it was all me. I was just working up the courage to ask you out on a proper date because I know me. I’d fuck it up and make some sort of joke and you’d think I was making fun of you but I’m _not._ ”

Eddie’s brain had somehow short circuited and all he could hear on repeat in his brain was Richie saying _I like you_. Richie liked him. Richie Tozier liked him, Eddie Kaspbrak. When he finally zoned back in Richie was still blabbering, muttering and Eddie just had to shut him up. So he closed the distance between them and pressed his soft lips to Richies slightly chapped ones, shutting him up immediately.

It wasn’t a heated kiss, no, it was soft and surprisingly innocent for two seventeen year old boys that had been holding back years of feelings from each other, but it was very _them._ When Eddie pulled back he had a smile on his face, “I like you too.” He’d build up to the love part, after all, he was pretty sure Richie was going to be around for a pretty long time.


	5. “We’re not just friends and you fucking know it & Reddie’s first fight.

Eddie’s whole being was buzzing with excitement as he dodged past the students in the hall, trying to where all the Losers were huddled around Bill’s locker. In his hand he held a letter, albeit slightly crumpled due to how hard he was clutching it. He finally reached the group, breathing slightly ragged as he reached for his inhaler and taking a few puffs. His friends were looking at him as though he’d grown a third head and he rushed to explain.

“I got accepted to Stanford Medical school in California!” He announced proudly and the group was silent before a few moments before they erupted in cheers and words of congratulations, hugging him each in turn.

“C-Con-Congratulations Eh-Eddie.” Bill stuttered out, taking the letter from his hand and reading it over, smile widening even further. “Ah-and with a f-full sch-scholarship t-too!” At Bills words everyone hugged him again, as they all knew how hard Eddie had worked to get into Medical school, to get out of Derry.

It wasn’t until everyone had calmed down and they started walking out of the school, that Eddie realised the only person who hadn’t said anything was the one who usually couldn’t keep his mouth shut. His best friend, Richie. He felt an unwelcome feeling in the pit of his stomach as his eyes sought him out, trying to make eye-contact but Richie was avoiding his gaze. Eddie stopped in his track and grabbed the sleeve of Richie’s jacket, pulling him back. The others stopped and turned around but Eddie just waved them on, “We’ll catch up okay? I just need to talk to Richie for a second.”

They all paused for a moment, glancing between the two until Beverly nodded, “Alright, we’ll get you guys at the Barron’s yeah?” She asked and Eddie nodded, but received no response from Richie. _What was wrong with him?_ The others nodded and took that as their cue to depart, leaving Eddie and Richie alone.

“What’s wrong?” Eddie asked, once he knew his friends were out of earshot. Richie looked up at him then, eyes cold.

“Nothing, I’m fine, let’s go.” He moved to follow his friends but Eddie still had a grip on his sleeve. “Eddie.”

“No. Not until you tell me the truth. You’re forgetting how well I know you.” Eddies voice was a little colder this time, his eyes narrowing.

“I’ve just been thinking about how I’m planning on doing you mom later.” Richie said but the words didn’t contain the same teasing as they usually did and Eddie pushed him back.

“Fuck you, trashmouth,” he spat, “If you’re not going to tell me what’s going on then just, fuck off.” He felt tears stinging the back of his eyes as he had been so _excited_ earlier, about telling everyone about his good news, about telling Richie his good news. It was no secret, at least to Eddie, that he had stronger than platonic feelings for his best friend and sometimes, when they would hang out alone it would seem that Richie returned those feelings, yet he never acted on them.

“ _Fuck me?_ ” Richie’s eyes were narrow as he glared at Eddie, a look Eddie had never been on the receiving end of before and he didn’t like it, not one bit. “I’m not the one keeping secrets here Eds.” He hissed and Eddie felt as though he’d been slapped.

“W-what?” He stuttered in shock, feeling smaller than he had felt in a long time.

“Don’t stand there and pretend you don’t know what I’m fucking talking about-“ Richie ran a hand through his curls, a hand that was shaking, “You told me you were applying to universities in _New York_ not fucking _California_ , which by the way is on the other side of the fucking country!”

Eddie’s stomach dropped and he took a few steps back, “No, no I told you I was applying to Medical Schools and Mrs Barbour put me forward for the scholarship at Stanford. I didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t even think I had a _chance._ ” He had no idea why he was explaining himself, but he just wanted Richie to stop looking at him like he was dirt on the floor.

“We’re meant to be _friends_ Eddie. Best friends. We don’t keep secrets like that from each other,” Richie said but his voice didn’t contain as much anger as it had before, this time sounding more sad, hurt.

Eddie however, was still angry at what Richie had said, but instead of giving him a piece of his mind, he blurted out, “ ** _Fucking hell Richie, We’re not just friends and you fucking know it!”_** He gasped and covered his mouth with his hand in shock. His eyes glanced at Richie who was also harbouring his own shocked expressing.

It might have been no secret to the other losers about how Eddie felt towards Richie, but it _was_ a secret to Richie himself. “What?” He asked, quietly. “What did you just say?”

Eddie could feel his face heat up under Richie’s gaze and he swallowed the lump in his throat, “I said, we’re not just friends and you know it.” He repeated.

Richie was right in front of him now, so close he could smell the cologne that he stole from his dad’s cabinet that always made Eddie go weak at the knees. “Too right I fucking know it.” He breathed and Eddie looked up at him.

“What does this mean?” Eddie asked quietly, his hands gripping onto the labels of Richie’s jacket keeping him close.

“Well for starters I’m going to have to call your mom and tell her she’s never going to get the chance to see my rockin’ bod,” he winked and took Eddie’s face in his hands, brushing his thumbs over his cheekbones. “Can I kiss you?” He asked, wary, as he knew he’d upset his earlier.

“Please.” Eddie responded before he felt Richie’s mouth on his, soft and chaste. It didn’t last long, but it was perfect.

When Richie pulled away, his hands still firmly holding Eddie’s face in place he ducked his head, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have acted that way. Of course I’m proud of you Eds, I’m so proud that you got that scholarship. I just- you’re leaving and I was scared you’d forget all about me.”

“How could I forget about you Richie? How would you even let me forget about you? You have me on the edge all the time,” Eddie teased and Richie laughed.

“Usually, I would make a joke about your mom but-“ he stopped himself, “But I’d much rather have _you_ on the edge if you know that I mean?”

Eddie smacked him over the head, a faint blush still apparent on his cheeks. “We should go meet the others, they’ll probably be wondering what we’re doing.”

“We could just say we were doing each other!” Richie barked and Eddie just rolled his eyes, grabbing Richie’s hand and dragging him away from the school towards the barrens.   
“Beep-beep asshole,” He teased back. “And just for the record, I was going to ask you to come with me. To California.” Eddie spoke up suddenly as they walked. “I know you’re as desperate to get out of Derry as I am.”

Richie looked taken a back before he grinned and threw an arm around Eddie’s shoulder, “Onward good fellow!” He called out in his shitty British accent, making Eddie snort, “I see sun, sea and sand on our horizon!”

Eddie smiled as they walked down the sidewalk, pressed against each other. Sun, sea and sand indeed.


	6. “I’d give anything if you’d kiss me”

It was Eddie’s 21st birthday and as the last one of the losers to turn the legal drinking age, Richie suggested they all go out to a bar and officially get Eddie drunk. As the most responsible one of the group, Eddie actually hadn’t touched an alcoholic beverage, no matter how many times Richie tried to coax him into it. _It’s against the law, Richie!_ He would say.

Now though, now he was sitting at the bar, currently necking back his fourth shot of the night. The alcohol burned at his throat as he swallowed and he grimaced at the taste, his head automatically spinning as he turned to face his friends that were laughing and ordering their next drink. He jumped as a glass was placed in front of him and he looked up to see Richie waggling his eyebrows at him.

“Don’t worry Eds! It’s just a vodka and coke!” He yelled over the music and picked up his own drink, taking a swig. Eddie reached for his own drink, taking a sip and swallowing the contents. Suddenly his hand was being grasped and was being pulled out onto the dance floor by his best friend. He felt his face heat up as Richie pulled him right into the middle so they were pushed up together, bodies touching in every possible way. Richie’s hands placed themselves on Eddies hips as they swayed to the beat of _It’s Raining Men._

He could feel the sweat from the body heat trickle down his back and normally he’d be grossed out but the alcohol currently running through his system, and the feeling of his best friend keeping a grip on him as they danced, was drowning out all other feelings he would have had.

He looked over Richie’s shoulder and met the gaze of Bev, who was dancing with Ben not far from where they were. She raised her eyebrows at him and sent him a wink before focusing on her boyfriend again. At that moment he silently cursed himself for coming clean to Beverly and telling her about his feelings for the man in front of him. She was always trying to coax him into telling Richie, insisting that he felt the same way but Eddie always responded with, _“Just because he’s gay too Bev, doesn’t mean he automatically has feelings for me. There’s plenty of fish in the sea after all.”_

The song finished playing and most of the couples departed the dance floor, giving those left more room to move and breathe. Eddie pulled his body away from Richie’s and headed straight to the bar, missing the look of disappointment on the older mans face. He picked up his drink and downed the contents, ordering another drink. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Richie make a beeline for the bathroom and he took the opportunity to look around at his friends. Bev and Ben were locked up in an embrace on the dance floor, Mike was chatting to a few people at the bar a few feet away from him and Bill and Stan were sitting in a booth, extremely close as they chatted. Eddie smiled to himself, locking away a thought to ask Bill when that happened.

When the bartender sat his drink in front of him, it was alongside a birthday shot. Eddie shrugged and chugged both of the drinks one after the other, and for a while, that was the last thing he remembered as he got up to join Beverley on the dance floor.

When he came back to himself, he was in a booth, a glass of water in his hand and Richie staring at him with wide eyes. “Thank fuck, you passed out for a bit Eds, got me worried there!”

Eddie let out a drunken giggle and leaned against him more, “Richie- Richie. I have a confession to make-“ he babbled. “I actually like it when you call me Eds, even though I say I don’t”

Richie just smiled a little wider at his confession and pinched his cheeks, “Gosh Eds, aren’t you just the cutest even when you’re canned!”

Eddie just smiled dopily at Richie and bit his lip, “I’ve got another secret-“ he moved his finger in a beckoning motion for Richie to come closer.

“Are you about to tell me all this time your moms been lusting after me too?! Because I’m so ready for that shit!” Richie teased but moved closer and Eddie made a face.

“Shut up, asshat. I’m trying to be serious here,” Eddie said, leaning up to Richie’s ear and whispering, **_“I’d give anything if you’d kiss me.”_**

Richie’s breath hitched at Eddie’s confession and he cursed to himself. He’d been waiting five _fucking_ years for Eddie to feel the same way about him and when he finally tells him he is, he’s _drunk_ and therefore Richie can’t act on it. He swallowed and moved to get out of the booth and pulled a confused looking Eddie out after him, “I think you’ve had enough fun for one night, Eddie Spaghetti!” He announced.

Eddie’s smile turned into a confused look with then turned into a frown as he slowly came to himself and realised what he’d just _done._ Fuck. _Fuck._ He backed away from Richie and made a beeline for the exit, not wanting to have Richie see his tears. He didn’t get far however, before he felt a hand on his sleeve, tugging him back. “Let me go asshole,” Eddie slurred out, still intoxicated even if he was slowly sobering up.

“Eds, Eddie stop. Listen to me.” Richie’s hands grabbed his face to force him to look at him. “Eddie, sweetheart, I want nothing more than to kiss you right now, but you’re _drunk_  and honestly, as cute as you are when you’re drunk, I’d really like it if we have our first kiss when you’re sober and awake enough to remember it.”

Eddie swallowed as his head spun around, trying to make sense and register Richie’s words. Richie liked him back. Richie wanted to kiss him. Richie was being a _gentleman._ Eddie could see Richie’s face fall and he realised he hadn’t answered yet and he nodded softly, “Okay Rich.”

Richie breathed out a sigh and pulled back, waving down a cab and helping Eddie in before climbing in after him. “I’ll take you home okay and I’ll sleep on your sofa, and in the morning, if you still feel the same. I’ll kiss you.”

Eddie grinned and rested his head against Richie’s shoulder and closed his eyes. He couldn’t wait until morning.

 


	7. 'accidentally coming out'

Anyone who walked into Derry High School could feel the excitement that was radiating off of the halls. For the first time since 1989, Derry’s high school football team had made the final and were playing a home game that Friday night. The coach of the team had the boys practicing at every possible minute of the day that he could get them all together. A few people who had free periods, were watching them practice and cheering them on, building up the atmosphere that was definitely going to be there on Friday. Amongst all the students sat Eddie Kaspbrak and his best friend Stan Uris.

Now even though they had at least three after school clubs, as well as their advanced classes, they still made time to sit out in the sun on the bleachers and watched the football team. It was mainly because Stan’s boyfriend Bill was on the team but Eddie wasn’t there to watch Bill, oh no, he was there to watch Richie.

Richie Tozier, known amongst his friends as ‘trashmouth’ as he really didn’t know when to stop talking, was the coaches ‘secret weapon’ as he called him. He was the teams kicker and he was _good_ at it. Eddie liked to sit on the bleachers and just watch Richie play, watch as his curly hair stuck down to his face whenever he took his helmet off for fresh air. He sighed and leaned against his arm, only being brought out of his thoughts by a cough from Stan.

“You know you could just go speak to him right?” Stan said carefully. “I mean, he’s a pretty cool guy when he’s not making dick jokes and comments about sleeping with your mom.” Eddie felt his face flush and he sat back.

“Shut up, Stan. Anyway…Richie’s not even into guys.” Eddie closed his book. “And even if he was why would he be into someone like me? I’m the total opposite of what he’d want in a significant other.” Eddie pulled out his hand sanitiser and rubbing it into his hands.

“I think you’re pretty cool Eddie,” Stan spoke up, “Even if you are a clean freak.”

“You have to say that, Stan, you’re my best friend.” Eddie responded and looked up, dropping his bottle to the floor with a clatter. His heart was in his throat as he saw Ben Hanscom standing a few feet away from him, holding the camera he was using to film the student body in preparation for Graduation. The red button was flashing which made it clear that Ben had been filming. “Oh god. How much did you catch on that thing?” Eddie asked, voice cracking and Stan caught on immediately to what the problem was.

“Dude! You got to delete that shit!” Stan yelled and Ben gaped a few times, before nodding and scrambling to delete that part of the video. What neither of the three boys counted on was Henry Bowers and his gang appearing out of nowhere and grabbing the camera from Ben.

“Hey Piggy,” he snarled and pressed play on the video and Eddie listened to his own voice talk back through the video, his voice that just admitted his crush on Richie. “Oh…oh this is priceless!” Eddie was freaking out, his breathing becoming ragged as he scrambled to get his inhaler out of his fanny pack, shoving it into his mouth and taking a puff but it wasn’t working. “This is going viral.” Henry stated with a laugh and shoved Ben to the side, spitting at Eddie and Stan as he walked past and vanishing.

“Eddie I’m so sorry! I didn’t even mean to get that on camera-“ Ben scrambled to find and excuse but Eddie wasn’t listening, too busy trying to breathe. “Is he okay?”

Stan glared at Ben, “Does he look like he’s okay?” He snapped and then sighed, “Just, come here and clean the spit off his face while I calm him down.”

Ben nodded and rushed over, helping Stan clean Eddie up and calm him down until he was just shaking. When Eddie looked up, he saw the football team had gone, signalling that it was lunchtime. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at Stan. “What am I going to do?”

“Nothing, if Henry publishes that video and Richie is a dick about it, well I’ll just show him what he thinks happens at a bar mitzvah.” Stan declared, causing Eddie to laugh for the first time since the ordeal happened.

“You’ll cut the tip of his dick off?” Eddie asked, earning a shocked look from Ben as Stan nodded.

“Exactly.”

-

As the three boys headed towards the cafeteria for lunch, no-one looked at them any differently, which signified that Henry hadn’t told anyone yet. Though most people would have seen this as good news, Eddie knew different, Henry was waiting to cause a scene and as he took a seat with Stan and Ben, who had asked if he could hang out with them, he realised that this was the scene he wanted.

All the football team were sitting at their usual table, apart from Bill who was making a beeline for them, when Henry whacked his fists against the table, causing everyone to go quiet. “I would like to direct your attention to the screen over here-“ Henry pointed to the big screen on the wall and Eddie’s face paled as the video Ben took started to play.

_“You know you could just go speak to him right?” Stan said carefully. “I mean, he’s a pretty cool guy when he’s not making dick jokes and comments about sleeping with your mom.” Eddie felt his face flush and he sat back._

_“Shut up, Stan. Anyway…Richie’s not even into guys.” Eddie closed his book. “And even if he was why would he be into someone like me? I’m the total opposite of what he’d want in a significant other.” Eddie pulled out his hand sanitiser and rubbing it into his hands._

The video cut off and Henry was grinning at them with an almost sinister smile, “So there we have it folks, little germaphobe Eddie has a crush on our teams star kicker!”

Eddie was going to vomit, but he forced himself to look up at the team’s table…at Richie. What he saw surprised Eddie, in more ways than one. Richie looked _angry_ …but not at Eddie. His gaze was fixed on Henry and once the bully had stopped laughing Richie stood up on the table, addressing the school.

“Not exactly how I planned on telling everyone, was sort of planning on writing it in the sky actually, ask Mike he was going to help me-“ he high fived Mike before turning to the rest of the school, “I’m bisexual. I like both girls and guys and if any of you have a problem with that you can suck my dick.” He turned to Henry, “As for you, you are the biggest prick I’ve ever met, so why don’t you go suck your dad’s dick you mullet wearing asshole!”

Henry’s face turned an awful shade of red but instead of acting on it he just stormed out of the hall and the school erupted into cheers, slapping Richie on the back as he returned to his seat.

Eddie looked away at that moment, missing the way Richie turned his head around and left the group, walking past Bill and straight to where Eddie was sitting, about to take a few of his medication pills. Richie plopped himself down on the seat opposite Eddie, not caring about everyone eyes that were not so subtly watching him. “What are those? Birth control pills?” He joked out.

Eddie shot his head up, squeaking slightly, before composing himself and bantering back, “Yeah, I’m saving them for your sister.” His eyes widened at his response and he was about to apologise when Richie threw his head back in a cackle.

“You and me, date tonight. I’ll pick you up at 7.” He said simply, standing back up and winking, “I’ll rock your world Eddie Spaghetti.” He started backing away, knowing lunchtime was over and he’d be needed back out on the field soon.

Eddie’s face flushed red and he just nodded before he yelled after him, _“Don’t call me that!”_

“Whatever you say Eds, see ya later!”

-

Later that night after their date, Richie snapped a picture of the two of them and sent it to his snapchat group with the caption. _‘My new lucky charm’._

They won the game on the Friday night and after the final whistle blew, Richie sought Eddie out, where he was sitting in the bleachers, wearing Richie’s jacket and he kissed him in front of the whole damn student body and their parents.

Lucky charm indeed.


	8. "You can call me daddy if u want to ;)" "Oh, fuck off Tozier"

**_Bold Italics_** \- Richie  
 _Regular Italics_ \- Eddie

[3:01am] **_Eds._**   
[3:01am] **_Eddie._**  
[3:01am] **_Eddie Spaghetti, are you awake?_**

[3:02am] _It’s three in the fucking morning Richie. Someone better be dying!_

[3:03am] **_Sorry Eds! I just can’t sleep, but since you’re awake you can keep me occupied!_**

[3:03am] _Don’t call me Eds, you know I don’t like it when you call me that. I’m going back to sleep, goodnight Trashmouth._

[3:04am] **_No! No wait, Eddie don’t. Please._**

[3:04am] _Are you okay Richie?_

[3:05am] **_No._**

_Incoming call from Eddie_

**_“Hey Eddie Spaghetti”_ **

_“Don’t call me that.”_

**_“Aww, you break my heart Eds, don’t you love me anymore?”_ **

_“Don’t you ever stop talking? It’s annoying.”_

**_“That’s not what your mom said last night!”_ **

_“Shut up trashmouth and tell me what the hell you messaged me at 3 in the morning for!”_

**_“…”_ **

_“Richie?”_

**_“I can’t sleep…I had a nightmare…about IT”_ **

_“Oh. You know it’s gone right?”_

**_“Yeah, yeah but whenever I close my eyes I keep seeing you crawl out of that damn mattress, blood and whatever it was coming out of your mouth. I keep seeing that fucking clown right up in your face, about to eat you. I keep thinking that if Bill and I were just a little bit later we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”_ **

_“But you did. Richie you guys saved me, and everyone else. We defeated IT and even if it does come back it’ll be in 27 years and we’ll be older. We’ll be ready. So stop worrying okay?”_

_**“…”** _

**_“You still having problems with your mom? If you are I can come over and give her a…distraction if you know what I mean.”_ **

_“God Trashmouth you are revolting!”_

**_“Wow Eds, way to make a guy feel special! But putting your mom to the back of my mind for a minute…are you?”_ **

_“Yes, I can’t really look at her anymore without feeling sick.”_

**_“If it makes you feel any better, my mom hasn’t even noticed that I’ve been home! And as for my dad…”_ **

_“At least you’ve got a dad. My mom barely talks about mine and whenever I ask she just…yells at me.”_

**_“You can call me daddy if you want to?”_ **

_“Oh fuck off Tozier.”  
_   
_“Stop laughing Richie! It’s not funny!”_

**_“Okay! Okay I’m sorry! I’ve stopped laughing now.”_ **

_“Beep beep asshat!”_

**_“…”  
_ **   
****_“Thanks Eddie, for talking to me.”_

_“No problem Richie, now go to sleep.”_

_**“Goodnight Eds.”** _

_“Don’t call me that.”_

_“…”_

_“ **Goodnight Richie**.”_


	9. "we're not just friends and you fucking know it!" (Stenbrough edition!)

Stanley Uris was a boy of very few words. He kept himself to himself and only associated himself with his closest friends. The Losers. Beverly, Ben, Eddie, Richie, Mike…and Bill. Bill Denbrough was his best friend, the one he was closest to in the group, and maybe they sometimes shared kisses when they slept over at each others house? No-one knew. No-one but them.

That’s where they were now, in Stan’s bedroom, laughing as they payed against each other on the new Zombie game that Stan received for his birthday. Suddenly, Bill paused the game, causing Stan to frown and look at his friend with concerned eyes.

“Wu-wu-we’re f-friends r-right?” Bill stuttered and Stan blinked at him for a few times, intending on saying yes, of course they were friends.

Instead, what came out was, **_“We’re not just friends and you fucking know it.”_** As soon as the words left his mouth he covered his hand over it, eyes wide with shock. “Bill-”

Bill’s eyes were blown wide at the comment and he swallowed thickly. “Wu-wu-we’re not?”

Stan ran a hand through his hair stressfully and he stared at Bill, “Bill, we- we hug and we hold hands, hell, we _kiss._ Just friends don’t do that stuff.”

“Eh-Eh-Eddie a-and R-R-Richie do,” He whispered and Stand shook his head.

“Eddie and Richie are dating though, they are in a loving and committed relationship, with one another,” Stan whispered softy, reaching over and taking Bills hand. “I don’t just want to be a behind closed door secret.”

“Nuh-Nuh-Neither do ah-ah-I,” he stuttered softly and Stan smiled, leaning a little closer so he could place his hand on Bills face.

“Yeah?” Stan asked quietly, feeling his face flush.

“Y-y-yeah.”

Stan closed the distance and pressed their mouths together softly, “Boyfriends?” He breathed out when they pulled away and Bill nodded.

“B-B-Boyfriends.”


	10. “It’s 3am, I swear someone better be dying!”

Bill groaned as he rolled over in bed, the sound of his ringtone echoing through his bedroom and he picked up his phone, glancing at the time. _ **3:01am.**_ He glared at the caller ID. _Richie._ What the hell did Richie want at three in the morning. He sighed and slid his thumb along the screen, answering the call and putting it to his ear.

“I-It’s t-three a-am, I s-s-swear s-someone better be d-d-ying.” Bill stuttered annoyingly down the phone to his friend.

_“No-one’s dying but I am freaking out.”_ Richie’s voice came through the phone on the other side and Bill sat up properly, concerned.

“Wha-wha-what’s w-wrong?” Bill asked quietly, sitting up, being sure not to disturb Stan, who was still fast asleep next to him and making his way out the bedroom, down the stairs and into the kitchen.

_“God, Bill, how did you do it? How did you gain the courage to ask?”_ Richie babbled over the other side of the phone and now Bill confused, very confused.

“H-How did I a-ask w-what?” Bill asked, pouring himself a glass of milk and sitting down at the table.

_“Propose Bill! How did you propose? To Stan?“_ Bill was glad he wasn’t holding the glass of milk as he was sure he’d have dropped it at that moment.

“Ah-are you p-p-planning on a-asking Eh-eh-eddie to ma-marry you?” Bill was grinning from ear to ear as he asked the question, and he heard Richie groan on the other side of the phone.

He was silent for a while and Bill was about to repeat the question when Richie finally answers, _“Yes.”_

“Th-that’s ah-amazing R-Richie.” Bill exclaimed, taking another sip of milk and Richie laughed stressfully over the phone. He could tell that his curly haired friend was nervous about taking this next huge step with Eddie, but he also knew that once he asked, everything would work out.

_“What if he says no Bill? I don’t think I can handle it if he says no. It’s such a huge step, what if Eddie realises that he doesn’t want to tie himself to me for the rest of his life.”_ Richie was ranting on, all his worries coming to the surface and Bill wished he was there in person so he could smack him.

“Y-you, y-you’re being st-stupid Richie. Eh-Eddie loves y-you and h-he’d s-say y-yes.” Bill reassured him. He knew Eddie would say yes, as he’d seen Eddie dropping hints when they would go out on double dates. “J-just a-ask him. D-don’t o-over t-think it.”

_“Just ask him? Just wake him up and get down on one knee next to the bed,, show him the ring and just…ask? Just like that?”_ Bill laughed and shook his head, glad Richie couldn’t see.

“Y-yeah, j-just d-do e-exactly t-that.” Bill said softly and finished his milk, putting the glass into the dishwasher. “L-let m-me k-know how it g-goes.”

“ _Yeah, yeah um, yeah dude. Thanks.”_ With that the phone went dead and Bill shook his head, making his way back to bed. Stan stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes.

“What was that about?” He slurred and Bill laughed.

“L-looks l-like we’re n-not g-going to b-be th-the only m-married c-couple a-anymore.” He said and climbed back into bed, switching off the light and falling back asleep.

 


	11. “I’d rather swap spit with a llama than cuddle with you.” “I think the llama would disagree.”

It was Bill’s sixteenth birthday and all the losers were hanging out in Bill’s room, eating pizza and watching movies. They had just finished watching their third movie when Beverly leaned over and switched off the TV.

“Let’s play truth or dare!” She announced and everyone cheered, well everyone besides Eddie, who backed away towards the edge of the bed, “Nope, Kaspbrak, you’re playing, just like everyone else. Come sit in a circle.”

Eddie sighed but moved to sit in the circle, in between Ben and Richie. He swallowed thickly at being so close to the curly haired teenager. Over the years, unlike most friendships Eddie witnessed, his relationship with Richie only grew stronger. Sometimes they would spend hours hanging out, just the two of them, in Eddie’s bedroom. They weren’t like most best friends, they were very touchy with each other; holding hands, sitting on each others laps, playing with each others hair, and if Eddie was just a little bit in love with Richie Tozier, no-one had to know.

Which is why Eddie absolutely _loathes_ truth or dare.

He physically relaxed as Richie wrapped his arm around Eddie’s shoulders, pulling him closer, “Don’t worry Eds, we’ll go easy on you,” he winked and pinched his cheek with his free hand. Eddie shrugged him off.

“Dont call me that, you know I hate it when you call me that,” he really didn’t hate it when Richie called him Eds, or Eddie Spaghetti, but he’d never let Richie know that of course. Wouldn’t want to feed the ego.

“You are so cute Eds,” Richie grinned and Eddie had to fight back a blush that he could feel forming on his cheeks. Luckily the attention was removed from him as Beverly picked Mike as her first victim of the truth or dare game.

“Mike! Truth or dare?” Beverly asked, leaning back against the chair behind her.  

Mike hummed as he thought over the question and responded with, “Dare.”

Beverly grinned and thought it over, “I dare you to go down to Bill’s fridge and bring up the whole can of whipped cream and eat it all!” Mike groaned but nodded, going down the stairs and bringing up the can of whipped cream. He shook the can and stuck the nozzle in his mouth, pushing down and letting the cream fill his mouth. Once the can was empty he tossed it into the trash, looking triumphant.

“Alright, Richie…Ben! Truth or Dare?” Mike asked, crossing his arms and retuning to his seat in the circle.

Ben blushed before he muttered out a quiet, “Truth!” Mike grinned and pondered over which question he would ask his friend.

“Alright, Ben, if one hundred thousand dollars was sitting on a table, and in order for you to get that money, you had to make out with Greta Keene for one minute, would you do it?” He asked and Ben gagged.

“Hell no, not for all the money in the world.” Ben answered immediately and the rest of the losers burst into laughter. “Okay, um, Eddie!” Ben announced and Eddie felt a sick feeling settle in his stomach. “Truth or dare?”

Eddie thought about it. He thought about which option would be the lesser of two evils and he settled on, “Dare.”

Ben clapped his hands and tapped his fingers against the floor, before clicking his fingers, “I dare you to sit on Richie’s lap and cuddle with him for the rest of the night!” All the loser’s ‘oohed’ at the dare and Eddie felt his cheeks heat up.

“ _ **I’d rather swap spit with a llama than cuddle with you,”**_ he quipped at Richie, who held a hand over his heart in mock hurt before laughing,

“ _ **Oh Eds, I think the llama would disagree.”**_ Richie snorted and Eddie shoved him away crossing his arms. “I kid, I kid! C’mon Eddie Spaghetti, come cuddle with me!”

Eddie swallowed but nodded, he wasn’t going to forfeit the dare so he climbed into Richie’s lap and wrapped his arms around his waist, cuddling with him. It was nice, and at least he had an excuse now without anyone else asking questions.

Richie smiled and couldn’t help but add, “Funny thing is Mrs K and I were in a similar position last night!” He tightened his grip around Eddie as he squirmed, trying to get off him but he shook his head, “No can do Eds, a dare is a dare!”

As much as Eddie loved Richie, he could be a real asshole at times. It was then he realised it was his turn to choose someone. “Um, Bill. Truth or Dare?”As they game continued, Bill was dared to run down the street in his underwear, Stan was asked to describe who his crush was (the description matched Bill perfectly but no-one said anything) and Beverly had to drink a whole bottle of fizzy cola through a straw, whilst standing on her head. As Beverly was helped down from her position, she turned to Richie, “Alright Tozier, saving the best till last. Truth or dare?”

Richie grinned, “Dare, duh.”

Beverly’s face twisted into a sly smirk. “I dare you to have seven minutes in heaven with Eddie. Right now.” Richie blinked and Eddie’s eyes were blown wide, there was no way Richie would go with this- but Richie surprised him, shrugging and standing up, pulling Eddie with him.

“Let’s go Eddie Spaghetti, I’m about to rock your world!” He dragged Eddie into Bill’s closet and closed the door. “Eds-“

Before Richie could make some excuse not to kiss him, or come up with some excuse not to follow through with the dare, Eddie leaned over and closed the distance between them, pressing their lips together. He felt Richie freeze up and momentarily Eddie thinks that he’s made a huge mistake, that he read all the signs wrong, but then Richie relaxed, and he reaches his hand up into Eddie’s hair, pulling him closer. Richie leaned back, pulling Eddie with him so he was sitting on his lap, his hands moving around Richie’s neck, weaving into the long dark curls.

Eddie let out a soft gasp as he felt Richie’s tongue skimming over his bottom lip and his parted them properly, allowing Richie’s tongue to slip into his mouth, moulding with his own. Eddie’s senses were overcome by Richie _. Richie, Richie, Richie._ His head was spinning and he had to pull away slightly to breathe, but wasted no time leaning back down, too scared that if they pulled away completely, the moment would be broken and they’d never speak of it again.

Suddenly, light filled the closet as the door was pulled open and the losers were all staring down at them both in the compromising position. Richie chuckled, voice hoarse from the kissing and ran a hand through his hair and Eddie scrambled to get up off of Richie’s lap, leaving the closet and grabbing his stuff. “It’s late, I- I should go.” He said and moved to the door, only to be stopped by Richie.

“Wait- no,” he shook his head. “Guys…give us a second?” Richie asked and everyone nodded, leaving Bill’s room and heading down to the kitchen. “That was some kiss Eds.”

“Don’t call me that,” he whispered out, unsure with what else to say.

“I think I’m going to have to tell Mrs K I’ve got a new guy in my life.” Richie teased and Eddie shoved him.

“Beep Beep Richie! Be serious here!” He said seriously, crossing his arms.

“I love you. Serious enough for you Eds?” Richie said, no teasing or joking evident in his voice and Eddie swallowed.

“Yeah?” He asked quietly, taking a few steps forward, “I love you too.”

Outside the door both boys heard clapping and Beverly’s voice shouting, “You all owe me twenty bucks!”

Eddie just laughed and buried his head into Richie’s shoulder. He’d thank his friends later.


	12. "Richie and his feelings <3"

Eddie knew that Richie’s home life wasn’t the best. He knew because most nights, he found Richie outside of his bedroom window, sitting on the tree branch. They never talked about it, not seriously at least, as Richie just crawled in through the window, kicked his shoes off and crawled into the bed next to him, falling asleep. The next morning when Eddie waked up, Richie would be gone and they wouldn’t see each other until they met up for school.

This routine started when they were thirteen, just after the _It_ incident, which Eddie could only just remember. They were seventeen now, seniors in High School, their whole life ahead of them. Even though his mother had insisted that Eddie stay on the east coast and go to a local college, somewhere close to home, he had applied and been accepted to Stanford University in California.

Richie was also going to California as he’d been offered a place at Berkley, studying the arts. It was just a coincidence that the two schools happened to be less that 40 miles apart. Eddie was brought out of his thoughts as a familiar tapping on his window echoed through the room. He got up off the bed and locked his door, something that his mother had _finally_ agreed to. Once he was sure that there was no way his mother would come in, he walked over to the window and pushed it open, “Hey.”

“Eddie Spaghetti! What a surprise to see you here!” Richie joked and climbed in, sitting on the bed. Eddie rolled his eyes and he knew immediately that something bad had happened over at the Tozier household.

“Don’t call me that, you know I hate it when you call me that,” he really didn’t, but he would never let Richie know that.”Are you okay?”

“Never better Eddie my man! Just been with your Mom less than an hour ago, feeling so much more refreshed!”He grinned and lay back on the bed. Eddie frowned, crossing his arms and glaring at his best friend.

“Don’t lie to me. I’m tired of you lying to me! I’m tired of you telling jokes and using humour to cover up how you really feel!” He snapped. “You- you come here almost every night, and sometimes I think that you’re going to tell me what’s wrong. What they said this time, but you never ever do Richie, and I’m tired of it!” He was too busy ranting that he didn’t realise that Richie had sat up on the bed, eyes wet with tears.

“You’re right,” he whispered, voice cracking and that caught Eddie’s attention almost automatically. His eyes widened as he saw the tears in Richie’s eyes and suddenly all the anger and frustration was gone. He was across the room in a second, pulling Richie into a tight hug. “I-I’m sorry Eddie.”

Eddie gasped in horror at the apology and he shook his head, “No, no Richie, no. Don’t ever apologise. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled at you, you don’t have to tell me anything.”

“My parents found out I’m gay,” he whispered, “They found out I was gay and they’ve kicked me out. I don’t have anywhere to go.”

“You’ll stay here,” Eddie said automatically, without any sign of hesitation.

“I can’t stay here Eddie, your mother hates my guts,” Richie responded.

“Screw my mother, we’re leaving for California in two months. Graduation is only a few weeks away.” Eddie’s hands found their way into Richie’s thick curls and he sucked in a breath as Richie actually _sagged_ against him. Eddie continued running his hands through them.

They sat in silence for a while, only the sounds of Richie’s sobs drifting through the room. After a while, Eddie felt him shift and he glanced down. Richie had fallen asleep and Eddie’s heart swelled at the sight. It was no secret that Eddie had feelings for Richie, everyone in the losers club knew…apart from Richie himself. Eddie was too scared to tell him, to afraid that it would shatter the close relationship that they had. They were always close, touching, playing with each others hair, sitting in each others laps. Eddie was afraid that if Richie knew his feelings were more than that of a friend, he’d back off and distance himself.

Once Eddie was sure that Richie was asleep, he rearranged their positions and continued to run his hands through his hair. He swallowed thickly before he whispered into the silence, “I love you.” He looked down, his own eyes growing wet. “I’m in love with you Richie Tozier, and I don’t know what to do.” It felt weird speaking it out loud, especially with Richie right there, but he was asleep…or at least he thought he was.

“What was that Eds?” Richie mumbled and Eddie froze, his whole body turning a shade of white. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ “Eddie…what did you say?” Richie’s tone was more insistent this time and so he looked down. Richie still looked tired, exhausted even, but he was awake.

“I- I said I love you,” he whispered and Richie sat up properly. “I’m so-” The words caught in his throat as he felt a pair of lips on his own, silencing him. It didn’t last long, as Richie pulled back, a grin on his face, much better than the sad look from earlier.

“I love you too Eddie Kaspbrak. Took you long enough,” Eddie choked back a laugh and wrapped his arms around Richie’s shoulders, pulling him into a hug.

“We’re going to do this, together okay? You don’t ever have to feel like you’re in this alone,” Eddie whispered into his neck and Richie breathed out, holding onto him just as tight. Richie pulled back after a while, running his thumb over Eddie’s cheekbones, wiping away some of the stray tears that were resting there. After a while he nodded, leaning in to press another feather-light kiss to Eddie’s mouth.

“Okay…together.”


	13. “Don’t worry! Your knight in shining armour is here to save the day!”

Eddie Kaspbrak nervously pulled at the strap of his back that hung over his shoulder. He could hear his mother having an in depth conversation with the school principal about how she wanted to be sure that her son would be safe at the school. Even though Eddie had found out months ago that his mother had been lying to him about his allergies, and that the medicine he’d been taking was in fact, placebos, he still carried it around in his bag…just in case. His inhaler however, was the only medication that he actually needed, as he did indeed, have asthma. It wasn’t as serious as his mother made it out to be, but it was there.

It was his first day at Derry High School, the fourth move in the past three years, and even though the school wasn’t as big as the one in California, or the one in Chicago…he really didn’t want to move again. It was senior year, and he’d really like to make some friends that he could graduate with.

His eyes glanced up at the door on the opposite end opened and a tall young man, about his age, with long curly dark hair and equally as dark dress attire sauntered in and leaned against the desk where the receptionist was typing away.

“How can I help you Mr Tozier?” Eddie heard the woman ask, distain evident in her voice. The boy laughed, a hearty laugh that made something in Eddie’s stomach stir. _What the hell?_

“Can’t I guy come visit his favourite receptionist? C’mon Sandra I thought we were closer than that!” The guy bellowed and Eddie had to hold back a laugh. He obviously didn’t do a very good job, as the boy turned his attention away from the woman behind the desk, and looked right at him. “Well well well, what do we have here?” He drawled and walked over to the seating area, plopping himself down. “Hello gorgeous.”

Eddie sucked in a breath at the term and he felt his face heat up, “Hello,” he said back, voice quiet and very, very nervous.

“Aww, don’t be shy princess,” he winked and leaned a little closer. Eddie noted that he smelled of cigarettes and a very nice men’s cologne. Oh jeez. “You must be new, because I know I’d have remembered such a pretty face.”

It wasn’t a secret, at least to Eddie, that he liked guys. He was gay, openly gay, but there had never been a guy that had given him that…feeling. Until now anyway, and he didn’t even know this guys first name.  “I just started today actually. My mom’s talking to the principle.”

“Eugh,” the boy commented, “Adults suck.” He held out his hand, “Richie’’s my name, and talking is my game. Friends and enemy’s call me trashmouth. Not super offended by it because it’s the truth. What’s your name darlin’?”

“Eddie,” he whispered taking his hand, a little nervous but the guy, Richie, just shook it with a grin plastered on his face.

“Eds! I like it!” Richie announced and Eddie frowned.

“Don’t call me that,” Eddie said swiftly, but he couldn’t ignore the way his stomach did flips, over and over again. He could hear his mothers voice drifting through the closed door, getting louder and he groaned. “She’s probably going to insist on showing me around the school herself,” he said quietly to his new friend…or at least he hoped he was a friend.

Richie just clapped his hands, “Don’t worry!” He said, his voice loud enough that the receptionist, _Sandra,_ had to shh him. “Sorry Sandra,” he whisper-yelled back before focusing his attention back onto Eddie, “Your knight in shining armour is here to save the day! Come with me and I’ll show you the in’s and outs of Derry High School!” He offered his hand again, and with one final glance at the door, Eddie took it.

“Okay, let’s go.”

***

At his previous schools, Eddie always felt like a bit of an outsider, too scared to make any new friends because he knew he’d have to move away and never see them again. At Derry however, those fears weren’t as prominent as Richie introduced him to his group of friends. The group had named themselves, “The Loser’s Club’ because when they were younger, thats what they were, even if that wasn’t the case now. The group consisted of Richie, Bill Denbrough, Stanley Uris, Beverly Marsh, Mike Hanlon and Ben Hascolm. Ben and Beverley were in a relationship as were Stan and Bill, which Eddie thought was amazing, so amazing that he’d told them that he was gay. He’d never come out so quickly to people in his life but…these six young people had welcomed him into their group so willingly that Eddie couldn’t help but trust them.

Richie had shown him around the school, as well as briefing him on the various clubs that the Losers were a part of. Bill was on the track team, Stan was in Biology club, Beverly in theatre, Ben with books and Mike in History. When Eddie asked about Richie, he just shrugged, “I play football, but not by choice, the coach saw me kick a can out on the field one day and recruited me. It’s pretty fun though so I stick around.”

Turns out Richie was the star kicker of the school football team, and also openly bisexual. He’d found that little piece of information from Beverly. This didn’t help Eddie’s ever-growing crush on him though. Loud mouth and mom jokes aside, he was a genuinely nice guy and Eddie’s best friend. Eddie had never had a best friend before and that fact alone was one of the only things stopping him from telling Richie how he truly felt. He didn’t want to lose the good thing the had going.

Maybe he’d tell him one day.

Maybe that one day would come at Bill’s eighteenth birthday party, during a game of truth or dare.

Maybe.

Just maybe.


	14. “Are you cold, do you want to borrow my jacket?” “I’m not cold.” “So you’re just shivering for no reason then?”

It was a cold December evening and Richie Tozier was wearing all but a leather jacket, a thin t-shirt, his black pants and his black boots. He was walking along the sidewalk, arm around the shoulders of Eddie Kaspbrak. Eddie was wearing a long sleeved like blue shirt, his light blue pants and his white converse.

They were on their way home from their local diner, Marco’s, the place that they visited every Tuesday night for date night without fail. They had been best friends ever since they could remember, but as they grew older, so had their feelings for each other. It wasn’t until Richie had saw Bradley from Eddie’s English class, blatantly flirting with him by his locker that he decided to do something about it.

He’d marched up to Eddie’s locker, his unlit cigarette still between his finger and he’d stepped between Eddie and Bradley, taking the smaller boys face in his hands, bending down to his height and crushing their mouths together in a very non-chaste first kiss.

Eddie, though he’d been shocked at first, wrapped a hand around Richie’s neck and into the curls that sat there, kissing him back as best as he could. Richie could hear the whistling of their group of fiends in the background, but it didn’t make him pull away, oh no, instead Richie wrapped an arm around Eddie’s waist and pulled him flush against him.

They’d been dating ever since.

Even though they were an official couple, voted cutest couple at the end of their junior year, their friendship dynamic never really changed. They still teased each other, Richie still made your mom jokes and called Eddie, Eds and Eddie Spaghetti but this time with a little more kissing and an added ‘baby’ at the end. Eddie still rolled his eyes at Richie’s lame jokes and had a sarcastic answer to most of Richie’s comments.

As the cold air blew, it sent a shudder through Eddie’s body, which Richie could feel almost instantly. Eddie had chosen not to wear a jacket that evening as they were travelling to Marco’s in Richie’s truck. What Eddie didn’t plan on however, was for Richie’s truck to break down, causing them to have to walk home in the cold.

Now Eddie may be small and compact, and he knew that Richie liked to take advantage of that…by picking him up easily and making him the little spoon when they cuddle, but Eddie was not about to ask Richie for his jacket. Nope, he was not going to sink that low.

 ** _“Baby? Are you cold?”_** Richie’s voice broke through the silence of the street they were walking down. It was just past ten, and usually Eddie would be freaking out about missing curfew, but since he was almost a senior, his mother had reluctantly allowed him to come home later, as long as it wasn’t too late. **_“Do you want to borrow my jacket?”_** As Richie spoke, he was already beginning to shrug of the leather jacket that shielded him from the cold winter air.

 ** _“I’m not cold,”_** Eddie mumbled, but as he spoke, another shiver coursed through his body and his teeth began to chatter.

Richie raised an eyebrow, brushing a hand back through his unruly curls, a small smirk plastered on his face, **_“Oh really? So you’re just shivering for no reason then?”_** Eddie groaned and closed his eyes, “Fine, fine I’m c-cold. I’m f-freezing.” Great, now he was starting to sound like Bill. He watched as Richie’s eyes softened and the he finished shrugging the jacket off, draping it over Eddie’s smaller shoulder, enveloping him in the heat that had been radiating from Richie’s body.

“Better?” He asked and wrapped his arm back around Eddie’s shoulder, keeping him close. His skin pricked with goosebumps at the cold but he really couldn’t care, as long as Eddie was warm, that was all that mattered.

Eddie smiled softly and he looked up at his boyfriend, “Much better, thank you.” They walked a little bit further before Eddie spoke up again, “Actually…my lips are kind of still cold,” he spoke coyly, glancing up at Richie through his eyelashes, blinking a few times. This was a trick he had learned very early on in the relationship, and it wasn’t something he used often, but when he did boy did it work.

“Oh?” Eddie watched as Richie swallowed, his Adam’s Apple bobbing and he licked his lips, leaning in closer. Eddie could feel Richie’s hot breath against his mouth, and before he could answer, those lips were pressed against his own, warming them up almost instantly. Richie’s arm moved from around Eddie’s shoulders to his waist, pulling him flush against him as his other hand cupped Eddie’s cheek softly. Eddie had pushed himself up on his toes, _damn Richie’s height difference_ , so he could push back against him, eyes drifting closed.

Eddie let out a short gasp as he felt Richie’s tongue run along the line of his bottom lip, opening his mouth so he could push it in, deepening the kiss and making Eddie’s toes curl up in his converse. One of Eddie’s hands weaved into Richie’s hair, tugging at the curls, causing Richie to break the kiss and start trailing a line of soft kisses down his jaw to his neck. His lips latched on to a sensitive spot there and worked their magic, probably creating a dark bruise.

At that moment, Richie pulled back, pressing another light kiss to Eddie’s mouth as he did so, joining their hands and lacing their fingers, “Warmer now?” Richie asked and Eddie just hummed, his face tinged with a light red colour.

“Mhmm-“ he cleared his throat, “Much.” They came to a stop outside of Eddie’s house and Eddie let go of Richie’s hand to walk up the path. He stopped halfway there and turned back around. “Love you, Richie.”

Richie’s face lit up and he sent Eddie a wink, “Love you too baby.”

“I’ll see you soon yeah? I’ll leave my window open.”

“Looking forward to it.” 

* * *


	15. "Eddie coming out to the Losers/ realising he likes boys"

It happened at a party when they were sixteen. Beverly had just come back into town from Portland and all the losers were so excited to have her back that Bill decided to through a little welcome home party for her in the basement. Since it was indeed Bev’s party, she suggested they play truth or dare.

Eddie hated truth or dare, it was a stupid game when your friends took advantage to try and weed out your darkest secrets. Everyone else, however, was on board with the idea, so they all sat in a circle and took turns asking each other the question.

It happened when Richie picked dare and Bev grinned, “Alright Tozier, I dare you…to kiss Eddie!”

Eddie’s whole body tensed up, but before he could question it, his nose was full of Richie’s scent and his lips were pressed against his own. It was a brief kiss, barely there and soon Richie was pulling back and giving Eddie a look, a look that made his stomach flutter, and the game continued.

Eddie’s head was swimming though, the feeling of Richie’s mouth on his own, the smell of his cologne, the way his stomach flipped. It was a feeling Eddie wasn’t familiar with…and he liked it.

But Eddie wasn’t gay.

Right?

***

After the party, things went back to normal, for everyone but Eddie. After his dared kiss with Richie, he’d started to notice things, like how he found none of the girls in his class remotely attractive, but when he looked at Richie, or hell, _any_ of the boys in his group, he felt a funny feeling in his stomach. He felt conflicted because, wasn’t he supposed to like girls? Wasn’t he supposed to want to make out with girls like Betty Ripson? He knew he certainly wasn’t supposed to think about making out with Richie, his best friend.

So he buried them, he buried the things he was feeling deep deep down inside of him. He tried looking at magazines with girls in it, tried closing his eyes and imagining what it would be like to be with a girl, but no matter how hard he tried he felt nothing. He stared avoiding Richie, coming up with excuses not to hang out with him alone, but soon he couldn’t stay away any longer and climbed through Richie’s bedroom window, whispering apologies and cuddling into him.

The more Eddie tried to repress his feelings, the more his feelings increased. The more he denied the fact that he liked boys, the more his attraction towards them became prominent. He knew he couldn’t tell his mother, she’d find some way to admit him to a mental hospital for treatment.

Even through all of his negative thoughts, Eddie Kaspbrak knew one thing for certain.

He was gay.

***  
“Guys?” Eddie spoke up one day when they were all hanging out by the Quarry, causing all the losers to turn their attention to him.

“What is it Eddie? Everything okay?” Bev spoke up first, her calming voice keeping Eddie’s control together.

“I- I have something to tell you, and I don’t know how you’ll take it but I can’t keep it to myself any longer,” he got out and Bev squeezed his hand, a signal for him to go on. “I’m gay. I like guys. I’m…attracted to guys.”

The group was silent for just a moment before everyone pulled Eddie into a huge group hug, accepting him for who he was.

“E-Eddie it’s o-okay. W-we love y-you no m-matter w-what.” Bill said with a smile and Eddie felt himself tear up.

“Thanks you guys. I love you guys so much.” Eddie said and as he looked up he saw Richie’s face. His expression was something that he’d only seen one other time before. He smiled back, a smile he only saved for Richie and he knew this was something they’d talk about some other time.

As his friends all hugged him again Eddie couldn’t help but think, he had the best damn friends in the world.

* * *

 


	16. 'jealous Richie/ HS seniorAU'

Eddie’s fingers tugged gently on soft dark curls, familiar lips pressed against his collarbone, sucking a dark purple bruise there. Shirts were discarded and legs were entangled together in a familiar position on Richie Tozier’s bed. The house was empty, as it usually was, therefore it served as a much more safe place for them not to be caught. With Richie’s father always working, and his mother either passed out drunk or out god knows where, they were most definitely guaranteed to be alone.

It wasn’t that they were keeping their relationship a secret because they were afraid, oh no, they were keeping it a secret because they knew if everyone knew then they would never have any alone time, and they liked their alone time.

Eddie felt his breath leave him as Richie pulled his mouth away from his collarbone and back up his jaw to his lips, planting one last lingering kiss to his mouth before he pulled away, smiling dopily down at him.

When Richie turned sixteen, he exchanged his coke-bottle glasses for contacts, which brought out the colour of his eyes, making Eddie melt every-time he stared into them. Now, with Richie being eighteen to Eddie’s seventeen, he’d never gone back to the glasses, unless it was absolutely necessary.

With graduation around the corner and the pressure of college, they were using the precious time they had alone to their advantage. Richie had already been accepted into Berkeley University in California to study Media and Eddie well, Eddie had multiple offers. Yale, MIT, NYU, Harvard, Princeton, most of them being Ivy League schools which his mother always brought up at gatherings. However there was one school that Eddie was still waiting on a reply from. Stanford university in California. At the beginning of their senior year, Eddie’s favourite teacher had pulled him into her office and handed him a booklet for the university.

_“It’s an application for a scholarship,” she explained. “Just apply, and see what happens, it won’t do you any harm.“_

So he did.

He felt Richie shift above him and he looked up to see his face in a frown, “Did I lose you for a bit?” He asked and Eddie shook his head.

“No, no I’m right here.”

***

Eddie was standing by his locker, a letter clutched in his fists when he felt a unfamiliar presence next to him. He shoved the letter back into the locker and closed it, turning to face Jamie Rivers, the guy he sat next to in his chemistry class.

“Hey Eddie,” he starts and leans half of his body onto the locker next to his. Eddie glanced around the corridor to find it almost empty, and he turned back to Jaime.

“Hi Jamie, is everything okay? Did you need help with the chemistry homework? If you did I can help you, I’m free after school and I have a free period everyday during 4th so if that suits you I can totally make time for-“ his rant was cut off by a pair of lips on his that definitely did _not_ belong to his boyfriend. Eddie gasped, and before Jamie could take advantage of his mouth being open, he pushed him away. “What the hell was that?”

“Yeah, what the _hell_ was that?” Eddie gasped and turned around to see Richie standing a few feet away from them, a stony look on his face. He walked right up and into Jamie’s face, “Do you have no sense of personal space? I mean come on! You don’t just walk up to a guy you barely know, a guy who, for all you know, could be in a loving healthy relationship already ad just /kiss/ him. Nope, you don’t do that.” Richie kept going, ranting on and on about how Jamie was insane for kissing him and Eddie couldn’t think of what to say, so instead, he started talking about what he knew best. Germs.

“The average kitchen sink contains 100,000 times more germs than the bathroom,” he blurted out and both his boyfriend and Jamie turned their heads to him. Jamie wore a confused look whereas Richie, Richie had started to smile. Eddie didn’t stop there however, like he probably should have, instead he kept going.

“Kissing contains a lot of germs! One peck can contain up to 80 million new bacteria, and frequent kissing can change your microbiome.” Eddie winced to himself at that fact, after all, there was only one person he wanted to exchange bacteria with and it wasn’t Jamie.

His mind was beginning to swirl as he thought about Richie taking what happened in the wrong way, but before he could act on it, and begin hyperventilating, a pair of hand were on his face, pulling his focus back. Richie was there, right in front of him and his breathing returned to normal. Jamie was gone, thank god, and they were alone.

“You alright Eds?” Richie asked quietly, softly and Eddie laughed and shook his head, pressing their foreheads together.

“Don’t call me Eds,” he whispered, even though he really liked it when Richie called him Eds, “I’m okay, I promise. I have- I have a surprise for you,” he said softly and got up to open his locker again, pulling out the letter.

Richie frowned but accepted the letter from Eddie and opened it up, reading over the words before a grin took over his face, letting out an elated gasp and picking Eddie up into a hug, “You got the scholarship!”

When Richie finally put him down, Eddie nodded, “I got the scholarship, I’m going to Stanford. I’m going to California!” Eddie hadn’t felt so happy since the day Richie took him to the quarry and admitted his feelings. This moment didn’t /quite/ beat that one, but it was pretty close.

“We’re,” Richie said and Eddie frowned, confused evident on his face, earning him a laugh from Richie, “ _We’re_ going to California, baby, you and me. Together.”

Eddie smiled so wide he was sure his face was going to split into two and he leaned forward, not caring who was watching, and pressed his mouth to Richie’s in a soft kiss, one of the softest they had ever shared.

“Together.”


	17. 'clingy eddie & oblivious richie!'

Richie was distancing himself, Eddie knew that much. What he _didn’t_ know was why. Had he said something wrong? Had he _done_ something wrong? No matter how much Eddie thought about it, he couldn’t figure out what he’d done wrong.

They were having a movie night at Bill’s because his parents had transformed their basement into a large room that they could all hang out in. Richie had plopped himself on the armchair, as far away from Eddie as possible, which everyone took note of immediately as Richie _never_ sat alone. He always sat with Eddie between his legs, or on his lap, or _something_ and they always sat on the sofa.

When Eddie walked and noticed the change in positions, his heart dropped just a little bit and he had to compose himself. He looked around at the available space before making a decision. Richie might have been mad at him for something, but he wasn’t about to break a movie tradition, so he walked right up to his best friend and plopped himself on his lap. A squawk escaped Richie’s mouth as he wasn’t expecting it, but he didn’t push Eddie off, instead he wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him against his chest.

All through the movie, Eddie would press himself closer, his fingers playing with Richie’s, his head resting on his shoulder and snuggling into him whenever a particularly scary part happened. His legs entwined with Richie’s, ankles crossed together.

It was the closest they’d been in weeks and as the movie progressed through to the final act, Eddie realised that as soon as it was over, Richie would go right back to ignoring him and avoiding him. He had less than ten minutes to enjoy having Richie close and it was the quickest ten minutes of his life. Once the credits rolled and the lights were switched off, Richie was pushing Eddie to the side and standing up, muttering about needing a smoke as he vanished up the stairs and out onto the porch.

The losers watched Eddie with confused eyes, wondering what was going on. How were they to know that Eddie was just as clueless as they were. He waited for a few moments before he was standing up and rushing up the stairs, joining Richie out on the porch.

“I’d ask for a draw but I hate the taste,” Eddie broke the silence and Richie jumped, turning around to face him. Eddie walked up to Richie then and wrapped his arms around his waist, reading his head between his shoulder blades, “Tell me what I did,” he whispered.

Richie had frozen stiff as Eddie’s arms wrapped around him, but when he heard Eddie’s voice, so small and questioning, he relaxed, “Nothing Eds, you didn’t do anything wrong. I promise.”

“I must have, because you’ve been avoiding me. Bailing on our trips to the quarry, the movies…” he trailed off.

Richie groaned and he pressed his head against the column holding up the roof of Bill’s porch, “That wasn’t my intention…to make you feel that way. I just…didn’t want to annoy you.”

“Annoy me?” Eddie asked quietly, arms still around Richie’s waist, too scared to let him go. “Why do you think you’re annoying me?”

“Because Eddie, I’m annoying. I make awful jokes and talk trash all the time. I didn’t want you to eventually hate me for being such an asshole really,” Richie’s head was ducked away and Eddie wanted to cry.

“Richie…Richie _no._ I don’t think that at all!” He turned around so he was facing Richie, his hands in his hair and on his face, just _needing_ to touch him. “Richie you’re not annoying, you’re the total opposite. You make me laugh. You make me feel better when my mom’s being a total bitch. You carry around a spare inhaler even though I technically don’t have asthma, just in case I need it. Richie you’re my best friend-“ he cut himself off the words he was so desperate to say right on the edge of his tongue, so he took a risk and continued, “I love you.”

Richie’s eyes widened, shock written all over his face and Eddie was beginning to worry that he had make a he mistake. Just then however, Richie’s face spread into a wide grin, consuming most of his face and his hands came up to grasp Eddie’s cheeks. “You mean that?” He asked softly.

Eddie nodded, over and over again, “Yes, yes I love you. I love you Richie. I’ve been in love with you since before I even knew what love _was._ ” Eddie didn’t manage to get another word out, as his lips were occupied by another pair pressed against them. Richie’s lips to be exact. He gasped, his arms moving from Richie’s shoulders, where he had placed them, to around his neck.

Richie’s arms wrapped down to his waist, pulling him flush against him, and tipping him back slightly like they did in the movies. Eddie squeaked out a laugh against Richie’s mouth and tightened his grip around his neck, pulling away for air. Richie was looking at him with a soft look on his face, “Look’s like I have to tell your mother that I’ve got a new man in my life eh?”

Eddie smacked his arm, but didn’t push him away, “Beep beep Richie,” he said the words softly, glad that the old Richie was back, even if he was joking about his mother.

Richie winked at him, tightening his grip around his waist, “I love you, Eds.” He leaned forward and brushed his nose against Eddie’s in a soft display of affection. Eddie’s fact flushed and his fingers wrapped around the curls on the back of Richie’s hair.

“I love you too, trash mouth.“


	18. 'it's okay, you don't have to love me"

Eddie was pissed off. Actually he was more than pissed off, he was _enraged._  He’d spent most of free period on the bleachers, smacking his pencil off of his notepad as he glared at the football players practicing on the field. Namely Bradley. Bradley and his cockiness was the reason Eddie was about to scream.

He’d spent most of the previous night, sobbing his eyes out into his pillow, wearing one of Richie’s band shirts that was way to big for him. At the thought of Richie, his eyes filled with tears that Eddie was sure he’d cried most of the night before. His fingers tightened around his pen and his free hand wiped away a stray tear.

* * *

The previous night, Richie Tozier, his boyfriend of two and a half years and love of his life, climbed through his window like he did every night. This time however, there was no making out and falling asleep wrapped in each other. This time, Richie had a stone cold gaze and he stood a few feet away from him, pausing for a few moments before uttering the words that ripped Eddie’s heart in two.

_“I think we should break up.”_

Richie hadn’t hung around to bask in Eddie’s reaction as he slipped out of the window and down the street. It wasn’t until Eddie had come to school the next day, eyes red from crying, that he found out the reason _why_ Richie had ended their relationship.

Ben had come running down the corridor as though he was on fire, gripping onto Eddie’s arms and all but yelling that he had overheard Bradley, the football teams quarterback and Eddie’s science parter, berating Richie, talking about how he wasn’t good enough for Eddie and that he was just what his nickname was…trash.

Everything had clicked into place in that moment and Eddie replayed the previous night in his head. How Richie couldn’t even look at him, how his hair was out of place as though he’d been pulling at it, something he only did when he was nervous or upset. How his eyes were dark and red from what he now could assume were with tears.

“That _fucker_ “

Now here Eddie was, glaring at the son of a bitch that thought it was alright to mess with his relationship. Richie might not be popular, hell he was actually one of the teens that spend most of his time behind the bleachers smoking. That didn’t matter though, what mattered was that Eddie loved Richie with every fibre of his being. They might only have been eighteen and seventeen respectively, but Eddie knew that he was going to marry Richie one day. They’d exchanged _promise_ rings for goodness sake!

He watched all the team depart the field to head to the locker room, where he also knew Richie would be after finishing up gym class. He shoved all of his things into his back and stormed down the bleachers and across the field, heading straight for the locker room. A few people jumped and covered themselves up when he walked in, and a few just gave him a look. Eddie rolled his eyes and rounded the corner, glad to see that both Richie _and_ Brad were mere inches from each other.

Brad noticed him first, his face turning into a smile until he noticed that Eddie was _not_ happy to see him. He cleared his throat, “Eds!” He started and _that_ caught Richie’s attention, his head shooting up and eyes narrowing at the nickname and Eddie had to keep himself composed as Bradley continued, “What can I do you for? Stuck with a chem problem?”

At that, Eddie scoffed, “Stuck with a chemistry problem? Brad just last week you asked me what the difference was between H20 and Co2. One is water and one is the chemical we exhale after we _breathe_ it’s simple common knowledge! Oh and /don’t/ call Eds. There is only one person allowed to call me that, and last night, he broke up with me because of _you_ , so I’d watch my next words if I were you.”

Everyone in the locker room’s attention was now trained on him, but Eddie could care, he turned away from Bradley and straight to Richie. He opened his mouth to speak but Richie held up his hands, **_“It’s okay Eds, you don’t have to love me._** I know I’m a waste of space.”

“Shut the _fuck_ up. I love you. I am so in love with you that it _hurts_. When you broke up with me, it almost killed me so…so never /ever/ do that again. Do you understand?” Eddie was right up at Richie’s face now, eyes hard, but also caring.

“But Eddie-“

“I don’t care what anyone else thinks, and I don’t want you to change for me. I fell in love with _you_ and I want you to stay just the way you are.” He nudged their noses together and breathed out a sigh of relief when Richie pushed back against his, rubbing them together softly.

“Wanna get out of here?” Richie suggested, wiggling his eyebrows. Ah, there was his boyfriend.

“I thought you’d never ask.”


	19. "I'm just doing what the fortune cookie asked me!"

As Eddie stared up at the large banner that was strung across the main street of Derry, his eyes burned with unshed tears. The words staring back at him made his stomach swim with nausea. Out of the corner of his left eye, he could see his friends, Stan and Bill staring at him with sorrow in their eyes and out of the corner of his right he saw Richie. Richie was being held back by his best friends Mike and Beverly, along side Beverly's boyfriend Ben, because right in front of him holding a can of spray paint and a deadly smirk on his face was Henry Bowers.

 

Above his head, in blood red writing, were the words: _**Eddie Kaspbrak, the Trash Whore!**_

 

He heard the car before he saw it, the familiar screeching of the brakes as it rounded the corner. Someone must have called her the second they saw the banner because there was no way she could have gotten here to fast. The _she_ he was referring to was his mother, and as she threw herself out of the car and stormed over towards him, Eddie wished he could have bolted down the main street far far away from her.

 

“Ma-” he opened his mouth but she was faster as she grabbed him by his wrist.

 

“I don't want to hear it! What is this Eddie! My boy, a _whore?!”_ Eddie flinched at the word spoken out of his mothers mouth and he heard a few gasps from the onlookers. He could see that Richie had stopped struggling, and that Henry had run off with his goons, leaving him with the aftermath of their cruel joke. “I don't even have to figure out _who_ defiled you Eddie.” Her body rounded to face Richie and Eddie stiffened.

 

Richie Tozier was the exact type of person his mother didn't want him to be associated with. He was tall, long curly hair that was aways a mess on his head, dark eyeliner under his eyes, leather jacket, torn jeans and boots. _Poison_ is what his mother called him everytime she'd see him on her travels and Eddie would bite his tongue, forcing down the protests that Richie _wasn't_ poison and that he loved him with every fibre of his being.

 

“ _You,”_ she pointed at Richie and stormed over, dragging Eddie with her as she refused to let him go, “You can kiss goodbye to ever seeing my son again, and if you do, if you ever even _look_ at him again I'll get you put away so fast you wont be able to catch your breath!” The words were firing out of her mouth like bullets and over her shoulder Richie's eyes met Eddie's and they were full of sadness and a tinge of something else.

 

“Ma- you _can't_ -” he was cut off again as she span to face him.

 

“Get in the car Eddie. I won't ask again,” and then, without speaking to anyone in particular, she barked, “and someone remove that sign!”

 

Eddie walked to the car backwards, eyes never leaving Richie's and only when he got into the passenger seat, his mother close behind him, did he look away.

 

* * *

 

Never in his seventeen years of life had Eddie cried as much as he did that night. Once they'd arrived home, his mother had all but locked him in his bedroom. He wouldn't have been surprised if she'd thrown away the key. As they day had gone on, the doorbell had rang three times. The first time it was Stan, who got the door slammed in his face, the second time it was Bill who had brought Georgie along, and whilst she was a little kinder to them she refused to allow them to come in. The third time and final time it was a neighbour, apologising for how her son had turned out. As he heard his mother bad mouth him to the neighbour, Eddie sunk down his door and sobbed even more tears that he didn't know he was capable of shedding.

 

It had just gone midnight when he heard a faint tap and Eddie shot up off his bed. His bedroom was located in an awkward place of the house, his window almost impossible to climb up to which was why his mother hadn't installed bars, or he was sure she would have. He padded over to the window and pushed it open, sticking his head down and looking out. His eyes widened as he saw Richie standing directly below his window, wearing some nice clean clothes and his hair was brushed back. He was also holding a bouquet of red roses. “ _Richie,_ ” he hissed quietly so as not to wake his mother up, “what are you doing here?”

 

“What does it look like I'm doing? I'm rescuing you!” Richie whispered yelled back up at him. “Is the dragon asleep princess? Is it same to ascend the tower in which you have been imprisoned?”

 

At his boyfriends words, Eddie let out a quiet giggle, fresh tears filling his eyes and he nodded his head, “She's asleep, but- how are you planning on climbing up here? There isn't a drain or a tree and I don't have long hair like Rapunzel.”

 

“As cute as all those idea's would be my love, I have something even better!” Eddie watched as Richie vanished around the side of his house, and then moments later, reappeared with a ladder. “I have this! I believe it is called a ladder and it was invented for us knights to climb impossible towers to rescue their princesses!” He arranged the ladder so it was against the wall and he started climbing up. The whole event was making Eddie's heart beat fast against his ribcage, and when Richie finally reached the top, he was smiling.

 

“Hi,” Eddie whispered, his eyes melting into Richie's.

 

“ _ **Hi-oh shit- you're crying. Are you okay? Do we need our sweaters?**_ ” Richie asked, panic in his voice and Eddie shook his head.

 

“No, no, I'm okay,” he whispered, “Believe it or not, these tears are happy ones.”

 

Richie's face visibly relaxed and he pressed his forehead against Eddie's, “So, do I get a reward for climbing the tower to your rescue?” He asked and Eddie bit down on his bottom lip.

 

“Would a kiss suffice?” Eddie asked but he didn't receive an answer, at least not one in verbal form as Richie wasted no time pressing his mouth to Eddie's in a soft, yet still passionate kiss.

 

“I have something to show you, come with me?” Richie asked and Eddie didn't even have to think about it, he nodded and slipped on his shoes, climbing out the window and down the ladder with Richie's help. Once they were safely on the ground, Richie put the ladder in a safe place before lacing their fingers together.

 

They walked in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying each others company as they usually did. It was a clear night out, so clear that if there weren't any street lights they'd be able to see all the stars in the sky. Soon, Eddie realised that they were walking out of the main street's of Derry, heading towards the Quarry. He didn't question it until they reached their destination and he saw what had been set up.

 

Soft candles illuminated a picnic blanket that was laid out beneath their tree at the quarry giving the area a romantic glow. There was a picnic basket to the side along with an ice bucket with a bottle of something inside. Eddie's eyes watered and he turned his head to Richie, who was standing nervously waiting his reaction. He opened his mouth to speak but Richie jumped forward, pressing his finger to his lips.

 

“Eddie, what happened today should never have happened. I should have stopped Bowers way before he'd even opened that can of spray paint,” he began and Eddie frowned but didn't interrupt, letting Richie continue. “It did though, and I am so sorry. Now this- this isn't an apology. This was planned a while ago, “ he cleared his throat, “Remember a few weeks back when we went to that Chinese restaurant and I refused to tell you what my fortune cookie said?” Eddie nodded and Richie reached a hand up to rub the back of his neck.

 

With his other hand, he pulled Eddie over to the blanket and let him sit down before sitting in front him. Then without thinking too much more about it, his pulled his class ring off his finger and offered it to Eddie, “The fortune cookie said that I was going to ask an important question to someone equally as important to me, and well, since we are both still so young I didn't want to _propose_...yet. So here I am, doing what the fortune cookie said because who am I to stand in the way of fate? I love you and I know that we're gonna get married one day, but until then, until I can afford to support the two of us and we're far away from Derry that your mother can force us apart, will you wear my ring? Consider it...a proposal to propose.”

 

Eddie was crying again and he nodded his head, “You're ridiculous, I love you,” he whispered out, moving close so their lips were inches apart, “Yes, of course I will.”

 

Richie smiled and slipped the ring onto Eddie's finger and pressed a kiss to it softly, lovingly, a side of Richie that only Eddie ever got to see. Eddie met his eyes as Richie raised his head and he pressed their mouth together. “I'm never going to take it off,” he whispered.

 

And when Richie finally _did_ propose, four years later, in the beautiful country of Greece and he had a proper engagement ring, Eddie simply moved it onto his other finger, not ever planning on breaking that promise.

 


	20. "The tuba is shit" "Fuck off, you know the clarinet is worse"

When Eddie was seven years old, his mother bought him a Clarinet. It was a beautiful instrument that let out a beautiful sound when it was played. He remembered hugging her for a long time, thanking her for allowing him take up lessons for the instrument he’d been dreaming about playing.

It had started on a rainy day in April, the wind blowing against the window and the rain battering on the porch. Eddie had been sitting cross-legged in front of the TV, watching a show his mother had put on for background noise, when he heard it. The sound coming from the long black instrument on the TV and Eddie just knew, in that moment, that he had to learn to play it.

Now ten years later and with four national competition trophies to his name, Eddie could happily say learning to play the Clarinet was the best decision he had ever made. He was in the school band and when the school put on music performances, he always got the solo.

Until now.

When Eddie walked towards the music room that morning, he frowned as he heard a sound coming from behind the door that he’d never heard before. The Tuba. No-one in school played the Tuba, but if  they did, Eddie knew that they wouldn’t be playing it like _that_. Whoever was playing the instrument, was off key and it was making Eddie’s ears bleed. Without another thought he stormed into the music room and his eyes bugged out of their sockets when he saw who the player was.

“ _Richie?!_ ” Eddie screeched and he crossed his arms at the side of his boyfriend, his mouth open as though he was about to start blowing into the instrument again, intending on making more noise. “What the hell are you doing in the music room?” He crossed his arms, eyes narrow.

“Oh hey Eds!” Richie started but before he could continue, Eddie interrupted him.

“ _Don’t_ call me that. I’m serious Richie, why are you in here and…playing the _Tuba_ off all instruments to play, why pick the one that makes the most noise?!”

Richie sat the instrument down and walked over to where Eddie was standing, towering over his form, “Eds,” he started agin, completely ignoring Eddies request to stop calling him that, “The Tuba is a beautiful instrument!”

“The tuba is _shit._ ” Eddie retorted, “It’s loud and obnoxious, just like you.”

“Fuck off, you know the clarinet is worse!” The words were out of Richie’s mouth before he could stop them. Eddie let out a horrified gasp and stepped back.

“Take that back. Take it back!”

“I’m just telling the truth!” Richie was smirking, and it was pushing every single one of Eddie’s buttons.

Eddie stopped his foot on the floor, “Richie the clarinet is not a shit instrument! It’s beautiful and it’s been an important part of my life ever since I was a child! You _know_ this! You’re trying to push my buttons and make me mad but it’s not working! You don’t know anything about music!”

Richie could sense that Eddie was beginning to get more upset and what he thought was a fun joke to begin with, soon turned sour and he dropped the smirk, “Alright, alright I’m sorry, I’m sorry. The clarinet isn’t stupid and I promise never ever to make fun of it again.”

Eddie finally uncrossed his fingers and he nodded slowly, “You can make fun of anything you want, just…not the clarinet.”

“So I can make fun of the fact that you have Pretty in Pink as your number one go to movie?”

“ _Richie!”_


	21. "You are quite the mystery, aren’t you"

Eddie Kaspbrak walked past the art room for the third time in the space of a week. He stopped just in the doorway, his eyes landing on the curly haired teen that was currently hunched over a table, scribbling vigorously. From where Eddie was standing, he could see that the teens fingers were covered in black charcoal and chalk, which meant he was working on a piece of art. Eddie bit down on his lower lip as he considered taking a step into the room and actually speaking to the boy. Richie Tozier his name was, Bill had informed him after cheerleading practice one day. Eddie hadn't known how Bill had figured out about his crush, at least he didn't until Bill explained that he had saw Eddie gawking at Richie when he was drawing on the bleachers during practice.

As Eddie made the decision to walk into the classroom, the period bell rang, signalling it was lunchtime and Richie was packing up his things. Eddie's eyes widened in panic and he scampered away from the door and down the corridor before Richie could see him. God he was such a chicken, Bill would never let him live this down.

Now even though Eddie was on the cheerleading squad, and hung out with the football players at the 'popular' table, he didn't see himself as popular, or privileged. As one of the two openly gay boys on the squad, the other being Bill, he was admired for his bravery at being able to be who he was, with limited judgement.

Brave wasn't a word Eddie wanted to associate himself with. If he was brave, Eddie would have marched right through the art room doors and spoke to Richie Tozier, but Eddie wasn't brave. As he walked into the cafeteria, head hung in shame and regret, earning him a look from Bill which Eddie knew was coming.

As Eddie reached the table, he held up a hand when he saw Bill open his mouth, “I don't want to hear it,” he mumbled and squeezed into the spare seat next to Bill and Ben. Ben's girlfriend and one of Eddie's close friends Beverly raised her eyebrow at him, a smile on her face.

“If you find it hard to walk into the classroom and say hi, why don't you just take art as your elective?” Eddie looked up at Beverly, his eyes lighting up at the genius idea and he leaned forward, gripping her hands.

“Beverly Marsh, you are an absolute _genius_!” He exclaimed before pushing the seat back and rushing out of the cafeteria as fast as he appeared.

* * *

It had take Eddie three weeks after he'd joined Richie's art class to finally build up enough courage to talk to him. He leaned over the drawing table that Richie was currently hunched over, his eyes widening at all the amazing colours that had exploded on the paper before him. Richie hadn't noticed that he was being observed, which gave Eddie a few more moments to think of what to say.

He could have said anything, something simple like 'Hello', but instead the words that left Eddie's mouth were, “ _ **You are quite the mystery, aren’t you?”**_

Richie almost jumped out of his seat in shock.

Eddie's face turned bright red as he turned around, confusion on his face until they rested on Eddie and his eyes widened. He looked at Eddie in shock, as though he was the last person he expected to see when he turned around. After a few more moments silence, Eddie finally spoke up. “Hi, I'm Eddie. I- um- I hope this doesn't sound creepy but I've been admiring you from afar and I think you're really amazing, and talented. Hi.” Eddie shut himself up, face flushing red.

Richie blinked at him a few times, “I know who you are, you're on the cheerleading squad.” He paused for a moment, face turning a shade of red as he dug into his bag for a book. Eddie noted it was the same book he used when he was on the bleachers. “I don't think you're creepy, after all, I'm guilty of the same thing. Except mine's might be a little creepy,” he pushed the book towards Eddie, “You're kind of my muse.”

Eddie's jaw dropped and he flicked through the book, drawings of Eddie littering the pages. Even though they were of himself, they were _good_ , the detail in each of the drawings were extraordinary and it made Eddie's body tingle. “These are amazing,” he whispered, looking back up at Richie, “I mean, even though they are of me, they are amazing.”

“You really think so?” Richie asked quietly, clearly embarrassed. 

“Really,” Eddie flashed him his best smile. “I joined this elective so I had an excuse to talk to you. I've been...trying to get the courage to speak to you for months now.”

“Were talking now,” Richie observed and Eddie cleared his throat.

“We are,” a beat passed before Eddie opened his mouth again, “What are you doing Friday night?” He asked, silently praying that Richie didn't already have plans.

“I don't really do anything outside of school, why?” Richie's face was still red on the cheeks and Eddie bit his lip.

“Maybe, we could talk some more over dinner?” He leaned forward and backwards on his heels, nerves taking over.

Richie stood up to his full height and Eddie almost choked at how _tall_ Richie was up close. As he looked down at Eddie, a few of his neatly pushed back curls fell out and over his eyes, a lopsided smile on his face. Eddie reached forward to push the curls back a smile clear on his own face. Richie watched him for a few more seconds before he answered:

“It's a date.”

 

 


	22. 'Relax'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW so beware!!!  
> They are above the age of consent so don't worry!

It was two months before graduation and Richie was sprawled out on the floor of Eddie’s bedroom, his hand scribbling along a sheet of paper as though his life depended on it. Eddie was sitting on top of his bed, a pencil stuck between his teeth as he watched his boyfriends shoulders tense every now and again.

“How am I meant to answer this question: _tell us how you would make an exceptional radio presenter_? That question is so open ended I don’t know where to start,” Richie burst out, flopping his head down against the paper, his curls covering his face.

Eddie pinched his nose and slipped off the bed and moved over to where Richie was laying. Without speaking he moved so he was sitting on the back of Richie’s thighs, his hands moving up his back to his shoulders, “You need to relax,” he said softly, massaging his shoulders gently.

Richie let out a groan and turned his head to the side, pushing his hair out of his face so he could get a proper look at Eddie, “Eds, I gotta finish this-”

“You’re not going to finish it unless you clear your head,” Eddie spoke softly, continuing to move his hands over his shoulders and down his back. He reached the hem of Richie’s shirt and he tugged it up, “Let me help you relax, you’ll thank me for it later. I promise.” Eddie leaned down and pressed his lips to the skin under Richie’s ear.

Richie sighed in contentment and he nodded, moving his own arms down to tug his shirt up and over his head, throwing it it somewhere in the room. Using his slightly more developed strength he managed to flip himself over so Eddie was still in his lap, but he was facing him, “What did you have in mind, baby?”

Eddie smiled and closed the distance between them, pressing their mouths together in what started off as a sweet innocent kiss. Soon Eddie stuck his tongue out to run it along the bottom of Richie’s lip, prying his mouth open. He smirked as he felt Richie moan and he weaved his fingers into Richie’s hair, tugging him closer and letting their tongues mould together. Slowly, and reluctantly, Eddie pulled away, but he kept their faces close, “Let me suck you, it’ll clear your mind,” he whispered.

Richie’s eyes closed, nodding his head as he stood up, keeping a tight hold of Eddie’s thighs as he sat down on the bed, lying back properly, “If you say so baby,” he whispered, a faint smirk on his lips, “I’ll never say no to your mouth.”

Eddie grinned and he re-adjusted his position so he was laying down between Richie’s legs. Carefully, he popped open the button of Richie’s pants and tugged the zipper down, licking his lips in the process. He lifted his arms and tugged on the waistband, pulling Richie’s pants as well as his underwear down his thighs and his legs. Eddie hummed as Richie kicked them off, allowing them to tumble off the bed and onto the floor along with Richie’s shirt.

Very slowly, wanting to take his time, Eddie pressed kisses to Richie’s stomach and down to his navel. He skipped over Richie’s already hard, and leaking, member to press small kisses and bites to Richie’s thighs. He revelled in the noises that Richie was making, letting Eddie know that he was becoming more and more relaxed by the second. Eventually Eddie felt that he’d teased Richie enough, after all he wanted to make him more relaxed, not more tense, and he pulled his mouth away from his thighs to admire the purple marks that were scattered over the slightly tanned skin. “Beautiful,” Eddie murmured.

Richie lifted his head and looked up at him through hooded eyelids, “ _Please,_ Eddie.”

The tone of Richie’s voice, the desperation, was enough for Eddie to lean down and suck the tip of Richie’s cock into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it, gathering up traces of Richie pre-cum with his tongue and swallowing it. He felt Richie shudder around him, and it only spurred Eddie on. He took Richie fully into his mouth, all the way to the hilt and he moaned, causing vibrations to travel through Richie’s body. As a moan left Richie’s lips, Eddie knew he was on the right track as he focused completely on what he was doing, moving his head up and down, taking in Richie all the way each and every time.

Richie’s moans were becoming more high pitched and erratic with every bob of his head. When Richie’s fingers moved into his hair, Eddie knew he was close so he picked up the pace, his tongue rolling around Richie’s hard member as he brought his hands up to massage his balls. “ _Ohmygod Eddie!”_ Richie gasped out, his hips arching up into Eddie’s mouth. Luckily, Eddie had had plenty of practice in the art of deep-throating. He simply let his throat relax and he welcomed Richie’s thrusts. “I’m- I’m gonna come Eds!”

Eddie pulled off with a pop only to whisper, “Come Rich, come for me.” As soon as the words left his lips, Eddie had his mouth back on Richie, moving his mouth faster this time, and with every pull back he sucked on the tip. He felt Richie shaking below him and Eddie gripped onto his thighs, digging his nails into the skin there. It didn’t take Richie much longer to reach his peak as he bucked up into his mouth, releasing his orgasm with a low pitched moan. As Eddie swallowed up every last drop that Richie gave him, he rutted his hips down into the mattress as he reached his own peak. He looked up at Richie, watching with a satisfied smirk as he collapsed back onto the bed, relaxed and pliant.

Eventually, Richie sat up, no longer tense, and made a move towards Eddie but he shook his head, “But Eds- I want to help you too.” Eddie felt a soft blush appear on his face.

“This was all about you Rich, but um, you don’t have to worry about helping me…” he trailed off and Richie looked down, a smirk appearing on his face as he realised the situation.

“In your pants? Wow Eds, you dirty boy!” Richie grinned and Eddie smacked him with his hands, moving to get off the bed.

“Shut up Richie,” he paused, “Are you feeling more relaxed now?” He asked and Richie nodded softly.

“Yes baby, much, thank you,” he tugged Eddie down for a kiss. “Now go clean up,” he winked and smacked his ass causing Eddie to yelp.

“Asshole.”

“Love you too baby!”

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi on Tumblr 
> 
> @reddies-spaghetti
> 
> <3


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